{"id":12725,"date":"2024-11-27T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-11-27T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/?p=12725"},"modified":"2024-11-26T20:13:02","modified_gmt":"2024-11-26T20:13:02","slug":"passing-the-torch-of-the-creative-nonfiction-movement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/2024\/11\/27\/passing-the-torch-of-the-creative-nonfiction-movement\/","title":{"rendered":"Passing the torch of the creative nonfiction movement"},"content":{"rendered":" \n
\n
\n \n

\u201cExcuse me for interrupting, but you\u2019re The Writer, right?\u201d <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n
\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n

I looked up from my conversation at a coffee shop in Pittsburgh\u2019s Shadyside neighborhood to see a burly man with a chest-length beard the color of steel wool. He wanted to know if my coffee companion was, in fact, Lee Gutkind<\/a> \u2014 the writer, editor, and professor whom Vanity Fair in 1997 called \u201cthe Godfather behind creative nonfiction.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n
\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n

It was. The bearded guy introduced himself as a writer-friend of someone whom Gutkind had taught in the English Department at the University of Pittsburgh, where Gutkind had founded Creative Nonfiction, a literary journal-turned-magazine that catalyzed the evolution of the genre. <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n
\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n

After telling us about the novel he had (finally) finished, the bearded man spent 10 minutes fan-girling over Gutkind, a soft-spoken, white-haired, bespectacled professor who had no idea who this guy was (a ceramic artist and lead guitarist for a band called Old Money Jesus). Then the man turned to me and said, with the earnestness of a Swiftie:<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n
\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n \n
\"\"
Lee Gutkind
George Lange<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div> \n
\n
\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n

\u201cThis is like an Elvis encounter!\u201d <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n
\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n

Gutkind and I were three hours into what was intended to be a one-hour chat, and this was the fourth celebrity sighting. As we introduced ourselves to each other outside Jitters caf\u00e9, an award-winning playwright stopped him on the sidewalk. As the playwright filled my ear with praise for Gutkind, a woman passing by on the sidewalk reached in, without a word, to hug Gutkind\u2019s neck and kiss his godfatherly cheek. When we moved to Georgie\u2019s Corner for lunch, the owner thanked him by bringing us a free cupcake and chocolate chip cookies. <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n
\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n

And, of course, he was receiving extended attention from me. I was in Pittsburgh to celebrate my grandmother\u2019s 100th birthday. When I realized Gutkind lived there, too, I invited him for coffee to talk about \u201cCreative Nonfiction: The Final Issue<\/a>,\u201d an anthology of 32 essays representing the kaleidoscope of nonfiction writing published by the magazine over 30 years. I was still mourning the end of Creative Nonfiction\u2019s publishing run in 2022. But I was grateful for the unusual parting gift: \u201cThe Final Issue\u201d is being mailed to his 2,800 subscribers \u2014 free. <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n
\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n

\u201cI felt I owed you guys something,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n
\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n

The spark of a movement<\/h2>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n

Flashback: It\u2019s the early 1990s, and Gutkind is an English professor at Pitt \u2014 the only one he knows of there \u201cwithout any advanced degree whatsoever.\u201d He is surrounded by poets, fiction writers, and playwrights who consider nonfiction inferior. He wants to write nonfiction that reads like fiction. <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n
\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n

True stories, mind you \u2014 based entirely on fact \u2014 but stories deployed with the tools of fiction: scenes, dialogue, point of view, voice, characters as fully rounded as any found in literature. <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n
\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n

\u201cI was an outlier,\u201d he said. \u201cBut I thought there were so many writers like me, writing nonfiction that read like short stories.\u201d <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n
\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n

He had long admired the characters and craft experiments of the New Journalists<\/a>, rebels who started rewriting the rules of nonfiction in the 1960s. Think Gay Talese\u2019s profile of Frank Sinatra \u2014 written without any real access to the star \u2014 in \u201cFrank Sinatra Has a Cold<\/a>\u201d (1966). Or the hallucinogenic narrative fugue of Tom Wolfe\u2019s \u201cElectric Kool-Aid Acid Test<\/a>\u201d (1968). Or Joan Didion\u2019s artfully fragmented portraits of young hippies, forming her mosaic of Haight-Ashbury counterculture in \u201cSlouching Towards Bethlehem<\/a>\u201d (1968). <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n
\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n

\u201cI thought, this is really something<\/em>,\u201d Gutkind said. \u201cAnd I wanted to do that.\u201d <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n
\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n

Whatever \u201cthat\u201d was needed a name. Something other than \u201cNew Journalism,\u201d because the J-word was off-putting to folks in the literary world, who considered factual writing antithetical to creative writing. <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n
\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n

Gutkind embraced the term \u201ccreative nonfiction,\u201d because he felt it encompassed the broadest spectrum: memoir, essays, narratives, profiles, immersion reportage, and so on.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n
\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n

\u201cI wasn\u2019t the first person to use that term,\u201d he said. \u201cBut I was the first person who really hung onto it.\u201d <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n
\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n

Journalists recoiled. \u201cThey hated the word \u2018creative,\u2019\u201d Gutkind said. \u201cThey thought it meant you could make stuff up, which wasn\u2019t true.\u201d<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n
\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n

Creative writers took umbrage, too. \u201cThey resisted the evolution of the essay and the idea that creative nonfiction could take shape and read like fiction.\u201d <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n
\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n

Literary critics were among the harshest naysayers. As Gutkind recalls in the introduction to \u201cThe Final Issue,\u201d an editor for The New York Times Book Review described creative nonfiction as \u201cbullshit. \u2026 If it is creative, then it\u2019s not nonfiction and if it is nonfiction then it\u2019s not creative.\u201d <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n
\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n

And so began years of  \u201cliterary fistfights\u201d \u2014 the theme of his memoir, published last year by Yale University Press, which is as much a history as it is a memoir. \u201cThe Fine Art of Literary Fist-Fighting<\/a>\u201d chronicles not only Gutkind\u2019s personal arc but the evolution of creative nonfiction from an incite-fully oxymoronic term into its own legitimate genre.  <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n
\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n

\u201cMy mission was always to make creative nonfiction the \u2018fourth genre,\u2019\u201d Gutkind told me \u2014 as respectable as fiction, poetry, and playwriting. \u201cI wanted people to accept it. I got a little crazy about it. I really pushed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n
\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n

Gutkind fought so hard to legitimize the genre that a Vanity Fair <\/em>writer called him \u201ca human octopus.\u201d Which, in retrospect, could be considered a back-handed (or eight-handed) compliment. In the same derisive critique of \u201cCreative Nonfiction\u201d (both the magazine and the genre), the critic dismissed memoir \u2014 including Frank McCourt\u2019s Pulitzer winning \u201cAngela\u2019s Ashes<\/a>\u201d and \u201cThe Liar\u2019s Club<\/a>\u201d by Mary Karr \u2014 as \u201cnavel-gazing\u201d and \u201ccivic journalism for the soul.\u201d<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n
\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n

A slow embrace of the form<\/h2>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n

Flash forward: It\u2019s 2024, almost 2025. The Vanity Fair critic who snubbed memoir as \u201cnavel-gazing\u201d published his own umbilically contemplative memoir 10 years after writing those very words \u2014 figuratively and literarily eating them. <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n
\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n

Creative Nonfiction had evolved from a perfect-bound literary journal with 150 subscribers to a quarterly magazine with a small but devoted readership of 2,800 paying subscribers and 35,000 on the email list. It had published writing by the likes of Valerie Boyd<\/a>, John McPhee<\/a>, Richard Rodriguez<\/a>, Charles Simic<\/a>, and many other \u201coutliers.\u201d It had become a literary lab for Pulitzer Prize winners and National Book Award recipients and even some non-writers with a great story to tell \u2014 all of them true-storytellers experimenting with craft and form.  <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n
\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n

It had become legit<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n
\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n

The genre, meanwhile, had evolved from a concept that irritated both journalists and English majors into a genre worthy of its own MFA programs. Gutkind helped start the first ones \u2014 at the University of Pittsburgh and the low-residency program at Goucher College \u2014 both in 1997. <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n
\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n

Acceptance expanded. As Gutkind writes in \u201cLiterary Fist-Fighting\u201d: <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n
\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n

\u201cThere are more than 200 MFA creative writing programs and three dozen PhD programs \u2014 not just in the U.S. but in Asia, New Zealand, Australia, Ireland the UK, and other countries. Nearly every week, creative nonfiction books appear on the bestseller lists of The New York Times and The Washington Post; they are featured and reviewed and excerpted in major magazines and on literary websites. Many newspapers today, once critical of creative nonfiction (and the New Journalism of the 1960s and 1970s), regularly solicit and publish personal essays for opinion and feature pages. News stories, once limited by the five Ws \u2014 who, what, when, where, why \u2014 are often written as dramatic narratives.\u201d<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n
\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n

Creative nonfiction is now one of the fastest-growing disciplines in both academia and publishing, Gutkind says. Which seems like an appropriate setup for a mic drop. So I was astonished when Gutkind told me that he had never been invited to speak at the Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Conference<\/a> at the University of North Texas or the Power of Narrative Conference<\/a> at Boston University (formerly hosted by the Nieman Foundation). <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n
\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n

What? Why?! <\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n
\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n

It seems that the parallel universes of literary journalism and creative writing still haven\u2019t fully merged; they coexist as a sort of Venn diagram, with a little overlap between two curiously siloed disciplines. As a writer who haunts the overlap, I have witnessed this: at conferences attended by journalists but few MFAs; at writers\u2019 residencies where I was the lone journalist among poets and novelists, even in my own classrooms. <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n
\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n

I\u2019ve taught creative nonfiction in English departments where I had to find a word other than \u201creporting\u201d to teach students how to research better material for their stories, and I\u2019ve taught feature writing in journalism programs where I struggled to get experienced reporters to understand what a scene is, or the difference between dialogue and quotes. <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n
\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n

Both camps could benefit from the sort of cross-pollination that Gutkind sought to infuse in his magazine and his classrooms. But even after 30 years, he feels rejected by literary journalists who can\u2019t seem to get past the C-word \u2014 as if \u201ccreative\u201d implies making stuff up instead of the creativity of the craft. <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n
\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n

Gutkind has been pressed through the years to define \u201ccreative nonfiction.\u201d He has refused, because he didn\u2019t want to define boundaries that might limit the creativity and experimentation of writers. He felt that writers should be the ones to define the genre through their writing. That said, his magazine\u2019s tagline offers a sort of definition, with plenty of room for interpretation: <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n
\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n

True stories, well told. <\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n
\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n

Keeping the story flame alive<\/h2>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n

In 2022, Gutkind left his final professorship at Arizona State University and returned to Pittsburgh, coming full circle (like a good essay) back to where he began. After shutting down the magazine and co-editing the anthology with Leslie Rubinkowski<\/a>, his former student, he has more time to focus on his own writing, wrangling a narrative that has been incubating for some time and thinking about the future of creative nonfiction. <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n
\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n

Not long after the magazine ceased, Gutkind received an email from Narratively<\/a>, a storytelling platform that champions true storytelling in many forms: written stories, podcasts, TV, film, and an educational arm called Narratively Academy<\/a>, which offers online writing workshops.  <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n
\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n

Not knowing the magazine had stopped publishing, the crew at Narratively asked if Gutkind might want to share a piece<\/a> they had published. He was already \u201ca fan and admirer\u201d of Narratively and found the timing a moment of kismet, because he\u2019d just been thinking about reaching out to the site \u201cwith some ideas about how we might work together.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n
\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n

Narratively\u2019s founders, Noah Rosenberg and Brendan Spiegel, were journalists who found themselves stymied by the storytelling constraints of what they call \u201cbig journalism.\u201d Their story ideas were repeatedly rejected as \u201ctoo quirky, complex, or in-depth for mainstream media<\/a>,\u201d according to their website. So in 2012 they built a platform \u201cthat champions diverse, indie journalists and storytellers and celebrates humanity through the most authentic, unexpected and extraordinary true narratives.\u201d Narratively has since been lauded as one of TIME\u2019s 50 Best Websites<\/a> (2013) and Columbia Journalism Review\u2019s 11 Best Experiments in Journalism<\/a> (2015). <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n
\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n

These journalists, who are of a younger generation, didn\u2019t see themselves as part of a separate camp. When Rosenberg discovered Creative Nonfiction 20 years ago, he thought: I\u2019m not alone. I\u2019ve finally found my people. <\/em>And Gutkind was one of them. <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n
\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n

\u201cHe\u2019s the consummate player-coach,\u201d Rosenberg told me on the phone. \u201cHe has practiced the craft. He has helped define the craft in so many powerful important ways, while also becoming an important teacher and mentor.\u201d <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n
\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n

Synergy can be an off-putting word. So let\u2019s call what happened next a syzygy<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n
\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n

The journalists and the creative nonfictionist got on the same page (which would be a clich\u00e9 if it weren\u2019t a double entendre). In February they announced a partnership. Their first collaboration is a series called \u201cThe Art of Narrative Storytelling<\/a>,\u201d which invites writers to examine the stories that move them and try to crack the code that makes them work. Narratively will also offer a discounted subscription to Creative Nonfiction subscribers, but more importantly, an alternative to the void left by Creative Nonfiction, with the Godfather\u2019s blessing. <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n
\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n

\u201cThe advice he has offered us has demonstrated that he\u2019s willing to pass the baton,\u201d Rosenberg said. \u201cWhich is a responsibility we don\u2019t take lightly.\u201d <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n
\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n

A writer\u2019s reality check<\/h2>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n

If this were a news article, that would be a fine kicker. But in homage to the Godfather, this is a story<\/em>, and we will end it with a flashback. <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n
\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n

It\u2019s 1965 and Gutkind is a freshman at Pitt, taking Composition 101. His professor is teaching the five-paragraph essay: intro, three paragraphs supporting three points, conclusion. It feels limiting and frustrating and not what young Gutkind thinks writing should be \u2014 at least not any writing he\u2019d want to read. <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n
\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n

So he goes rogue. Instead of an academic-style paper, Gutkind turns in a story<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n
\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n

His professor catches on. Sees what he\u2019s doing. Purses his lips and tells his student: <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n
\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n

\u201cYou ought to think about becoming a writer.\u201d <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n
\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n

Seven years later, Gutkind published his first book, \u201cBike Fever: On Motorcycle Culture<\/a>.\u201d He would go on to become a leather-clad professor who stomped into class in motorcycle boots and smoked cigarettes during his lectures. He credits his 101 professor for unlocking the door to this life.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n
\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n

Over the years, Gutkind wrote letters and email trying to reach the prof to thank him. He never heard back. Perhaps he\u2019d been \u201cway too overboard in appreciation and praise.\u201d Maybe all that fan-girling had made the poor man uncomfortable. <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n
\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n

Then, one day, he was sitting in a coffee shop and saw his teacher walking by on the street.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n
\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n

I\u2019ll let the Godfather finish the story:<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n
\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n

\u201cI rushed outside and pursued him, calling his name quite loudly to get his attention. When I caught up with him and told him how he had been instrumental in launching my writing life \u2014 I had by then published two books \u2014 I realized why he had never replied. \u2026 He had no idea who I was.\u201d <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n
\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n

***<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n
\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n

Kim Cross<\/em><\/strong><\/a> is the author of creative nonfiction stories and books, including \u201c<\/em>What Stands in a Storm<\/em><\/a>\u201d<\/u> and \u201c<\/em>In Light of All Darkness<\/em><\/a>.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Narrative journalism guru Lee Gutkind sunsets his seminal magazine and launches a partnership with Narratively<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":12727,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"topics":[],"authors":[287],"issue":[],"class_list":["post-12725","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-narrative-news","authors-kim-cross"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nPassing the torch of the creative nonfiction movement - Nieman Storyboard<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/2024\/11\/27\/passing-the-torch-of-the-creative-nonfiction-movement\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Passing the torch of the creative nonfiction movement - Nieman Storyboard\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Narrative journalism guru Lee Gutkind sunsets his seminal magazine and launches a partnership with Narratively\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/2024\/11\/27\/passing-the-torch-of-the-creative-nonfiction-movement\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Nieman Storyboard\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-11-27T11:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Screenshot-2024-11-20-at-11.28.50\u202fAM.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1284\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"858\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"barbara_mccarthy\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"barbara_mccarthy\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"12 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/niemanstoryboard.org\\\/2024\\\/11\\\/27\\\/passing-the-torch-of-the-creative-nonfiction-movement\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/niemanstoryboard.org\\\/2024\\\/11\\\/27\\\/passing-the-torch-of-the-creative-nonfiction-movement\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"barbara_mccarthy\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/niemanstoryboard.org\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/41bed0663207b25a84ca3c1de0960241\"},\"headline\":\"Passing the torch of the creative nonfiction movement\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-11-27T11:00:00+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/niemanstoryboard.org\\\/2024\\\/11\\\/27\\\/passing-the-torch-of-the-creative-nonfiction-movement\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":2395,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/niemanstoryboard.org\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/niemanstoryboard.org\\\/2024\\\/11\\\/27\\\/passing-the-torch-of-the-creative-nonfiction-movement\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/niemanstoryboard.org\\\/app\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/11\\\/Screenshot-2024-11-20-at-11.28.50\u202fAM.png\",\"articleSection\":[\"Narrative News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/niemanstoryboard.org\\\/2024\\\/11\\\/27\\\/passing-the-torch-of-the-creative-nonfiction-movement\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/niemanstoryboard.org\\\/2024\\\/11\\\/27\\\/passing-the-torch-of-the-creative-nonfiction-movement\\\/\",\"name\":\"Passing the torch of the creative nonfiction movement - Nieman Storyboard\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/niemanstoryboard.org\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/niemanstoryboard.org\\\/2024\\\/11\\\/27\\\/passing-the-torch-of-the-creative-nonfiction-movement\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/niemanstoryboard.org\\\/2024\\\/11\\\/27\\\/passing-the-torch-of-the-creative-nonfiction-movement\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/niemanstoryboard.org\\\/app\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/11\\\/Screenshot-2024-11-20-at-11.28.50\u202fAM.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-11-27T11:00:00+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/niemanstoryboard.org\\\/2024\\\/11\\\/27\\\/passing-the-torch-of-the-creative-nonfiction-movement\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/niemanstoryboard.org\\\/2024\\\/11\\\/27\\\/passing-the-torch-of-the-creative-nonfiction-movement\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/niemanstoryboard.org\\\/2024\\\/11\\\/27\\\/passing-the-torch-of-the-creative-nonfiction-movement\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/niemanstoryboard.org\\\/app\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/11\\\/Screenshot-2024-11-20-at-11.28.50\u202fAM.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/niemanstoryboard.org\\\/app\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/11\\\/Screenshot-2024-11-20-at-11.28.50\u202fAM.png\",\"width\":1284,\"height\":858},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/niemanstoryboard.org\\\/2024\\\/11\\\/27\\\/passing-the-torch-of-the-creative-nonfiction-movement\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/niemanstoryboard.org\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Passing the torch of the creative nonfiction movement\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/niemanstoryboard.org\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/niemanstoryboard.org\\\/\",\"name\":\"Nieman Storyboard\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/niemanstoryboard.org\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/niemanstoryboard.org\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/niemanstoryboard.org\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Nieman Storyboard\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/niemanstoryboard.org\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/niemanstoryboard.org\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/niemanstoryboard.org\\\/app\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/02\\\/NiemanKOLogo.svg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/niemanstoryboard.org\\\/app\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/02\\\/NiemanKOLogo.svg\",\"width\":1,\"height\":1,\"caption\":\"Nieman Storyboard\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/niemanstoryboard.org\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/niemanstoryboard.org\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/41bed0663207b25a84ca3c1de0960241\",\"name\":\"barbara_mccarthy\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/20b55ba995c4f4dd106cb35b215c3bca6e490a7472d6b1dd00106b3aba32c1e6?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/20b55ba995c4f4dd106cb35b215c3bca6e490a7472d6b1dd00106b3aba32c1e6?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/20b55ba995c4f4dd106cb35b215c3bca6e490a7472d6b1dd00106b3aba32c1e6?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"barbara_mccarthy\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/niemanstoryboard.org\\\/author\\\/barbara_mccarthy\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Passing the torch of the creative nonfiction movement - Nieman Storyboard","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/2024\/11\/27\/passing-the-torch-of-the-creative-nonfiction-movement\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Passing the torch of the creative nonfiction movement - Nieman Storyboard","og_description":"Narrative journalism guru Lee Gutkind sunsets his seminal magazine and launches a partnership with Narratively","og_url":"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/2024\/11\/27\/passing-the-torch-of-the-creative-nonfiction-movement\/","og_site_name":"Nieman Storyboard","article_published_time":"2024-11-27T11:00:00+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1284,"height":858,"url":"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Screenshot-2024-11-20-at-11.28.50\u202fAM.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"barbara_mccarthy","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"barbara_mccarthy","Est. reading time":"12 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/2024\/11\/27\/passing-the-torch-of-the-creative-nonfiction-movement\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/2024\/11\/27\/passing-the-torch-of-the-creative-nonfiction-movement\/"},"author":{"name":"barbara_mccarthy","@id":"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/#\/schema\/person\/41bed0663207b25a84ca3c1de0960241"},"headline":"Passing the torch of the creative nonfiction movement","datePublished":"2024-11-27T11:00:00+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/2024\/11\/27\/passing-the-torch-of-the-creative-nonfiction-movement\/"},"wordCount":2395,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/2024\/11\/27\/passing-the-torch-of-the-creative-nonfiction-movement\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Screenshot-2024-11-20-at-11.28.50\u202fAM.png","articleSection":["Narrative News"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/2024\/11\/27\/passing-the-torch-of-the-creative-nonfiction-movement\/","url":"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/2024\/11\/27\/passing-the-torch-of-the-creative-nonfiction-movement\/","name":"Passing the torch of the creative nonfiction movement - Nieman Storyboard","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/2024\/11\/27\/passing-the-torch-of-the-creative-nonfiction-movement\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/2024\/11\/27\/passing-the-torch-of-the-creative-nonfiction-movement\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Screenshot-2024-11-20-at-11.28.50\u202fAM.png","datePublished":"2024-11-27T11:00:00+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/2024\/11\/27\/passing-the-torch-of-the-creative-nonfiction-movement\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/2024\/11\/27\/passing-the-torch-of-the-creative-nonfiction-movement\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/2024\/11\/27\/passing-the-torch-of-the-creative-nonfiction-movement\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Screenshot-2024-11-20-at-11.28.50\u202fAM.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Screenshot-2024-11-20-at-11.28.50\u202fAM.png","width":1284,"height":858},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/2024\/11\/27\/passing-the-torch-of-the-creative-nonfiction-movement\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Passing the torch of the creative nonfiction movement"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/#website","url":"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/","name":"Nieman Storyboard","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/#organization","name":"Nieman Storyboard","url":"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/02\/NiemanKOLogo.svg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/02\/NiemanKOLogo.svg","width":1,"height":1,"caption":"Nieman Storyboard"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/#\/schema\/person\/41bed0663207b25a84ca3c1de0960241","name":"barbara_mccarthy","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/20b55ba995c4f4dd106cb35b215c3bca6e490a7472d6b1dd00106b3aba32c1e6?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/20b55ba995c4f4dd106cb35b215c3bca6e490a7472d6b1dd00106b3aba32c1e6?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/20b55ba995c4f4dd106cb35b215c3bca6e490a7472d6b1dd00106b3aba32c1e6?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"barbara_mccarthy"},"url":"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/author\/barbara_mccarthy\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12725","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12725"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12725\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12733,"href":"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12725\/revisions\/12733"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12727"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12725"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12725"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12725"},{"taxonomy":"topics","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/topics?post=12725"},{"taxonomy":"authors","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/authors?post=12725"},{"taxonomy":"issue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/issue?post=12725"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}