To get the most from AAN East editorial sessions, enrolled journalists should do some reading in advance.
Two of the scheduled speakers had books published last year. If you’d like to have Life on the Outside: The Prison Odyssey of Elaine Bartlett (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2004) signed by author Jennifer Gonnerman or Essential Cinema: On the Necessity of Film Canons (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2004) signed by Jonathan Rosenbaum, please bring a copy of your book to the event, or you can purchase copies at one of several bookstores within a few blocks of the Renaissance Mayflower Hotel.
Other recommended reading is listed below.
“Elements of an Excellent Story” by Jim Stasiowski, writing coach
To prepare for Stasiowski’s seminar, it is essential to read the seven stories he chose from participating papers and reflect on the questions he poses about each. Mercifully, Stasiowski doesn’t identify the authors of the pieces, and he obscures place names so the stories can be discussed openly without focusing on any individual writer’s shortcomings.
Seven Stories from Seven AAN Papers (download file)
“Protecting the Innocent” by Bill Moushey, Innocence Institute of Point Park University
Visit the Innocence Institute’s Web site for an overview of journalist Bill Moushey’s work. To read the stories resulting from the institute’s investigations, which appeared in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, see this page of the Web site.
“Giving Voice to the Voiceless” by Jennifer Gonnerman, The Village Voice
Gonnerman’s book about a 42-year-old woman trying to reestablish a relationship with her children after she is released from prison grew out of an article Gonnerman wrote for The Village Voice. Life on the Outside: The Prison Odyssey of Elaine Bartlett was named a finalist for the 2004 National Book Award.
Learn more about Gonnerman’s book at this Web site.
Other recommended reading includes two articles Gonnerman wrote for The Village Voice, one about a 17-year-old who committed suicide and another about New York State’s last executioner.
“Following the Money to a Good Political Story” by Dave Mann, The Texas Observer
A Texas Observer series by Jake Bernstein and Dave Mann describes the Republicans’ corporate money scheme for Texas’ 2002 campaign. The series demonstrates the kinds of stories investigations of campaign financing can lead to.
Scandal in the Speaker’s Office
“Weaving the Backstory Into Arts Reviews” by Jonathan Rosenbaum, film critic, Chicago Reader
Rosenbaum’s many books about film are listed on this Web page. Below are some of his recent reviews on the Chicago Reader Web site.
