{"id":12741,"date":"2024-12-13T18:17:44","date_gmt":"2024-12-13T18:17:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/?p=12741"},"modified":"2025-03-19T16:48:51","modified_gmt":"2025-03-19T16:48:51","slug":"childrens-books-narrative-writing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/2024\/12\/13\/childrens-books-narrative-writing\/","title":{"rendered":"A\u00a0journalist, a boy, and a surprising literary gift\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p class=\"has-drop-cap\">I recently came across a personal essay that captivated me \u2014 both because of the subject matter and the quality of writing. I read the piece once online, then printed it out and started marking it up. I circled phrases and sentences that stood out to me and scribbled related notes in the margins.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p>\u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/11\/11\/books\/review\/heidi-johanna-spyri-swiss-childrens-novel.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">I Gave My Son the Books I Loved. He Chose \u2018Heidi\u2019 Instead<\/a>\u201d was written by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/by\/dave-kim\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Dave Kim<\/a>, an editor at The New York Times Book Review. In it, Kim explores his 8-year-old son\u2019s love for the classic children\u2019s book \u201cHeidi\u201d and chronicles a related trip that he and his son took to the Swiss Alps, where they visited bucolic scenes from the book.\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p>Kim\u2019s essay draws upon several writing techniques that are worth keeping in mind, especially when writing personal essays. I encourage you to read it (and admire the accompanying photo illustrations). Then, consider these 12 takeaways:\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-heading   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Make good use of juxtaposition\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p>Throughout the piece, Kim places contrasting details side by side \u2014 a technique known as ironic juxtaposition. This technique can help highlight differences, create meaning, and infuse humor into your writing. Here are a few examples, with contrasting details bolded for effect:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-list mb-4 list max-w-screen-full mx-auto pl-5 \">\n            \n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u201cI went to\u202f<strong>the Alps<\/strong>\u202fin August because my son \u2014 a\u202f<strong>New York City<\/strong>\u202fthird grader obsessed with\u202f<strong>baseball, projectiles and YouTube<\/strong>\u202f\u2014 fell in love this summer with the\u202f<strong>Swiss children\u2019s novel \u2018Heidi.\u2019<\/strong>\u201d&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-list mb-4 list max-w-screen-full mx-auto pl-5 \">\n            \n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u201cI couldn\u2019t work out how a boy who thrived on\u202f<strong>armed combat and poop jokes<\/strong>\u202fhad fallen so hard for a tale of\u202f<strong>pastoral youth and spiritual transformation<\/strong>.\u201d&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-list mb-4 list max-w-screen-full mx-auto pl-5 \">\n            \n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u201cI took in the valley as\u202f<strong>I caught my breath,<\/strong>\u202f<strong>bludgeoned by the beaut<\/strong>y, while\u202f<strong>my son relieved himself behind a spruce<\/strong>.\u201d [I also love the alliteration of \u201cbreath,\u201d \u201cbludgeoned,\u201d and \u201cbeauty,\u201d coupled with the consonance of \u201chimself\u201d and \u201cspruce.\u201d]&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-heading   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Sprinkle in relevant context\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p>\u201cHeidi,\u201d by Swiss author Johanna Spyri, was first published in Germany in 1881; an English translation was published in 1885. But rather than assuming all readers are familiar with \u201cHeidi,\u201d Kim provides a brief synopsis of the book early in his piece. He doesn\u2019t belabor the description, but gives us just enough to understand the plot, time period, and pacing. (Action in the book is leisurely \u2014 so much so that Kim refers to \u201cHeidi\u201d as \u201cthe three-toed sloth of children\u2019s books.\u201d)\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p>Kim also provides context about the places where he and his son, whom he refers to as \u201cR,\u201d visited. This gives readers confidence that they are in the hands of a guide who won\u2019t leave them behind.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-heading   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Weave in visual details\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p>I once had a grad school professor who read a piece I\u2019d written about my father and matter-of-factly told me: \u201cI still have no idea what your father looks like. Help me\u202f <em>see<\/em>\u202f him.\u201d<strong>\u202f<\/strong>Perhaps because of\u202f<a href=\"https:\/\/www.simonandschuster.com\/books\/Slip\/Mallary-Tenore-Tarpley\/9781668035016\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">my lifelong struggles with body image<\/a>, I\u2019ve always had difficulty writing physical descriptions of people. It often feels forced to me, and sometimes even trite. But since hearing that professor\u2019s feedback, I\u2019ve become more attuned to the ways in which good writing can help us see people in our mind\u2019s eye.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p>Kim helps us see his son in ways that are both specific and striking:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-list mb-4 list max-w-screen-full mx-auto pl-5 \">\n            \n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u201cHe had a deep crimp between his eyes, the look of someone packing far too much into a suitcase far too small.\u201d [This metaphor works especially well, since the essay is about travel.]&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-list mb-4 list max-w-screen-full mx-auto pl-5 \">\n            \n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u201cR went off to find some sticks. He rushed back seconds later with dinner-plate eyes: He\u2019d seen a sign for a pool.\u201d&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-heading   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Embrace dialogue and voice\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p>Along with helping readers <em>see<\/em>, we also need to help them\u202f <em>hear\u202f<\/em> the people in our stories. As journalists, we\u2019re trained to capture quotes in response to our questions. But it\u2019s just as important to listen for dialogue \u2014 two or more sources talking to each other. As I tell my students: Quotes are heard; dialogue is overheard.\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p>The best dialogue is brief but telling. Take this example, in which Kim is talking with his son during a visit to Heididorf, a village celebrating the beloved storybook character:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-quote mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p>\u201cWas Heidi real?\u201d R finally asked.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p>I told him there were probably girls\u202f<em>like<\/em>\u202fher once. But she herself was pretend.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p>\u201cThen who lived here?\u201d he shot back.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p>\u201cNobody.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p>We only hear Kim once in this dialogue, but his one-word response speaks volumes.\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p>In another passage, we hear R\u2019s voice again when Kim tries convincing him to go on a scenic train ride. Kim writes:&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-quote mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p>But in the late-afternoon heat, with an orange Fanta against his cheek, R was in no mood for more \u201cstuff.\u201d&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p>When I read that, I could hear my own 8-year-old using the same word to describe excursions that sound fun to me but boring to her. And I could picture myself heaving an exasperated sigh in response. In listening to others\u2019 voices, we sometimes hear our own.\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-heading   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Zoom out with bigger-picture observations\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-image mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/12\/IMG_6462-1-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12745\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1;object-fit:cover;width:309px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/12\/IMG_6462-1-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/12\/IMG_6462-1-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/12\/IMG_6462-1-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/12\/IMG_6462-1-1536x2048.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Beverly Cleary books in Tenore\u2019s collection that she buys for her children&#8230; and they aren\u2019t interested in! <small>Mallary Tenore Tarpley<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p>To write an effective personal essay, you need to zoom in on your personal experiences\u202f<em>and<\/em>\u202fhelp readers see the bigger picture you\u2019re trying to convey. This requires widening the aperture beyond your own story so that readers can more clearly see its underlying universal themes \u2014 the connective ties that bind writer and reader.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p>Sometimes, attempts to do this can come across as didactic or pedantic, so be mindful of your tone and intent. When\u202f<em>you<\/em>\u202ftry sounding smart, readers get turned off. But when you aim to make\u202f<em>readers<\/em>\u202ffeel smarter, they tune in.\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p>Kim made me feel smarter (and less alone) when he zoomed out in these three instances:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-list mb-4 list max-w-screen-full mx-auto pl-5 \">\n            \n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u201cEight is the cruelest\u202f<a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2020\/04\/07\/americans-with-kids-say-this-is-the-most-difficult-age-to-parent\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">year<\/a>, an age when myths deflate into hard forensic realities. Magic becomes sleight of hand; the logistics of Santa\u2019s gift distribution stop making sense. But the revelation process isn\u2019t so much like a veil being thrown off as it is a fuzzy world slowly coming into focus, and parts of it often go blurry again.\u201d<strong> <\/strong>[Notice how he links to a secondary source here so that readers who are interested can click on the link and learn more.]&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-list mb-4 list max-w-screen-full mx-auto pl-5 \">\n            \n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u201cChildren are not miniature versions of yourself. They do not like what you like, or what you think they will like.\u201d\u202f[I found this sentiment so relatable as the mother of a 7-year-old son and 8-year-old daughter. A few years ago, I surrounded the Christmas tree with toys that I had loved as a child, hoping my children would too. But they showed minimal interest and much preferred their great-grandmother\u2019s dollar-store gifts.]&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-list mb-4 list max-w-screen-full mx-auto pl-5 \">\n            \n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u201cIt is a truth widely known among parents that no matter where you go in the world, or how exotic the itinerary, the hotel pool will always be the highlight for your young children.\u201d\u202f[Reading this made me feel as though Kim was speaking directly to me, writer to reader and parent to parent. I immediately thought back to last summer, when I asked my kids to share their favorite part of our family trip to Hawaii, and they shouted in unison: \u201cThe pool!\u201d] \u00af\\_(\u30c4)_\/\u00af<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-heading   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">6. Share headspace\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p>When writing personal essays, it\u2019s easy to focus on what we were doing at a particular moment in time. It\u2019s harder to look inward and consider what we were\u202f<em>thinking<\/em>\u202fin that moment. Always ask yourself: What was I thinking about? How was I feeling? What questions were racing through my mind? What fears were holding me back?\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p>Kim does a nice job of this when he describes R\u2019s puzzlement over the religious undertones of \u201cHeidi.\u201d He lists the questions it sparks for him:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-quote mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p>Why do some people, like his grandmothers, believe that an all-powerful god exists, while others, like his parents, do not? How can one person\u2019s reality differ so drastically from someone else\u2019s?\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p>In reading these questions, we can more easily understand his son\u2019s \u2014 and perhaps even his own \u2014 attempts to try to make sense of the world.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-heading   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">7. Show us how you are one of many\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p>No matter how singular your story is, there are likely still parts of it that speak to our shared humanity. I always appreciate when writers describe how their own experiences relate to a broader community of individuals \u2014 not in a monolithic way but in a \u201cme, too\u201d kind of way. Kim does so effectively when comparing himself to other parents in this passage:\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-quote mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p>Like many parents, I have tried to pass on the highlights of my early reading life to my children (R and his little sister). And, like many parents, I have been crushed when the box sets of serial mysteries and Beverly Cleary paperbacks I buy with aching affection remain untouched.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p>The repetition of \u201clike many parents\u201d makes the writing feel more inclusive, and the Beverly Cleary paperback detail makes it more relatable.\u202f(I tried getting my 8-year-old daughter to read my old Cleary copies, but they have remained on the bottom shelf of her bookcase, untouched.)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-image mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/12\/IMG_6460-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12742\" srcset=\"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/12\/IMG_6460-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/12\/IMG_6460-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/12\/IMG_6460-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/12\/IMG_6460-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/12\/IMG_6460-2048x1536.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Inside pages of \u201cHeidi,\u201d from an edition she\u2019s had since childhood, published in 1940. <small>Mallary Tenore Tarpley<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-heading   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">8. Remember the magic number three\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p>My longtime mentor <a href=\"https:\/\/roypeterclark.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Roy Peter Clark<\/a> introduced me to the magic of the number three, and it has become one of my favorite writing tools. In his book \u201cWriting Tools,\u201d Clark encourages writers to think about the number of examples they provide when writing: \u201cUse one for power; use two for comparison, contrast; use three for completeness, wholeness, roundness; use four or more to list, inventory, compile, and expand.\u201d In personal essays, using three examples helps to encompass the whole.\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p>Kim takes advantage of the magic number three several times throughout his essay. Here are three examples (see what I did there?):&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-list mb-4 list max-w-screen-full mx-auto pl-5 \">\n            \n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u201cHe was expecting roller coasters, goat-shaped bumper cars. Animatronic Heidis with dark curls and dirndls.\u201d&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-list mb-4 list max-w-screen-full mx-auto pl-5 \">\n            \n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u201cThe attractions were \u2026 rigorous hikes! Ye olde villages! Incredible views!\u201d&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-list mb-4 list max-w-screen-full mx-auto pl-5 \">\n            \n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u201cWe did pass those meadows, but also vineyards, beefy medieval castles and flower-capped fountains.\u201d&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-heading   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">9. Use strong verbs.\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p>When self-editing personal essays, circle your verbs. You may find that you tend to use the same verbs over and over, or that you overuse versions of \u201cto be.\u201d Switching up your verbs can keep your writing more specific and more dynamic.\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p>Consider the verbs in this passage from Kim\u2019s essay:\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-quote mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p>The hot grass\u202fthrummed\u202fwith cicadas. We\u202fhuffed\u202fuphill on narrow shoulderless roads as farm vehicles and bleating Peugeots\u202fswerved\u202faround us \u2026&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p>These strong verbs create narrative energy and help drive the story forward.\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-heading   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">10. Climb up and down the ladder of abstraction\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p>On its surface, Kim\u2019s essay is about a trip to the Alps and the book that (partly) inspired it. But at its heart, the essay is about so much more: navigating the father-son relationship; letting your child become their own person; appreciating how books can expose us to new worlds, both real and imagined \u2026\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p>The late politician and scholar S.I. Hayakawa popularized the term \u201cladder of abstraction\u201d in his book \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Language-Thought-Action-S-I-Hayakawa\/dp\/0156482401\/ref=sr_1_6?crid=1KZOE7MVJ9GAM&amp;dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.7phYOJG0hx0-NchkRu-iJISlyOwnJeKPoApD3vm2EVSmAYikqf3r-UbSqTur8YU1EiaVhj46_-T2lROTSGWAMOt0TJ8FFq6eb_epHNm0nOnCRHzZEDVTC2v6UvJkQwEiqZy9VvMtF71N0YoWIuO1ZuYpdTvTHpya9zLvk5Xbze401znHjkYW9dyAXbuH2_LQvmCPitMxJpKoF0YdMlVVAekrrYp_dZKyJ7UxgIIx24U.z_iF4ord6wpvHjwXr-ANSHRth2qlOhiLUd8xBvhOcmE&amp;dib_tag=se&amp;keywords=language+of+action&amp;qid=1733949782&amp;sprefix=language+of+action%2Caps%2C145&amp;sr=8-6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Language in Thought and Action<\/a>.\u201d It\u2019s a helpful technique for writers, who should always aim to move up and down the ladder. Concrete details reside at the bottom of the ladder. Universal themes live at the top. The key is not getting stuck in the middle, where rungs can be riddled with jargon, hard-to-understand concepts, or unnecessary details\/context.\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p>In Kim\u2019s essay, there\u2019s a brief scene in which he writes about deciding to have a stick fight with his son. He moves down the ladder when he talks about the sticks that his son gathers (the sticks being the concrete detail). He starts to move up the ladder when he briefly mentions that his son stumbled upon the resort pool when looking for the sticks. Then he arrives at the top when he draws a connection between Heidi\u2019s storybook adventures and his son\u2019s sudden pool fascination:&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-quote mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p>Theirs was a joy burdened by neither earthly concerns nor fantasy \u2014 a love of present circumstance, of a real life that was plenty good enough.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-heading   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">11. Bring in source materials\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p>Some of my favorite personal essays pull in source materials, such as quotes from books, journal entries, medical records, and letters. Kim does this when quoting from a park map that stated:&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-quote mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p>You are standing in the middle of the village of the most famous Swiss girl, Heidi.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p>He had to have either taken a picture of this map or held onto it for safekeeping \u2014 two good strategies for any writer who wants to use source materials when writing about personal experiences.\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p>Kim also quotes directly from \u201cHeidi,\u201d which makes good sense given that the essay is largely about the book. He refers back to one of these quotes at the end of the piece. In doing so, he helps us see the connections between his own story and that of Heidi\u2019s \u2014\u202fand the sometimes surprising overlap between fiction and real life.\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-heading   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">12. Relay a moment of realization\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p>One of my former colleagues, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ijhf.org\/members\/2015\/tom-french\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Tom French<\/a>, once said\u202f<a href=\"https:\/\/www.poynter.org\/newsletters\/2013\/theres-no-such-thing-as-first-person-omniscient-when-writing-a-personal-story\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a story is a promise that the end is worth waiting for<\/a>. I\u2019ve always loved this line, and whenever I write a personal essay, I ask myself: Did I fulfill the promise?\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p>I used to think I was fulfilling the promise by writing tidy endings that were all tied up with a pretty bow. But I\u2019ve come to find that the best endings don\u2019t require a happy ending, major turning point, or life-changing epiphany. More often, they recognize smaller moments of realization or growth.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p>As <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecut.com\/2014\/01\/meet-the-man-behind.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Daniel Jones<\/a>, editor of The New York Times\u2019 Modern Love column,\u202f<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/02\/08\/learning\/writing-narratives-with-tiny-love-stories.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">once said<\/a>:\u202f\u201cA happy ending is when the writer understands something he or she didn\u2019t understand before.\u201d\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p>I thought of this when reading the last couple paragraphs of Kim\u2019s essay, in which he writes that&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-quote mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p>&#8230; it became a little clearer to me why R and generations of other unruly children had found a counterpart in [Heidi].&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p>The essay\u2019s ending is not a pristine package wrapped with a perfect bow, but it\u2019s still a gift.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p>* * *<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-classic mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"  core-block\">\n        <div class=\"block block--core block--core-paragraph mb-5   max-w-screen-full mx-auto\">\n            \n<p><strong><em>Mallary Tenore Tarpley<\/em><\/strong><em>\u202f teaches at the University of Texas at Austin\u2019s School of Journalism and Media. Her debut nonfiction book, \u201cSlip: Life in the Middle of Eating Disorder Recovery,\u201d will be published by Simon &amp; Schuster\u2019s Simon Element imprint in August 2025 and <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.simonandschuster.com\/books\/Slip\/Mallary-Tenore-Tarpley\/9781668035016\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>is now available for pre-order<\/em><\/a><em>. She recently launched a newsletter,\u202f<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/mallary.substack.com\/p\/welcome-to-write-at-the-edge\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Write at the Edge<\/em><\/a><em>, geared toward helping writers hone their craft.<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What a New York Times editor\u2019s father-son trip can teach us about personal essay writing <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":12747,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"topics":[],"authors":[374],"issue":[],"class_list":["post-12741","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-essays-on-craft","authors-mallary-tenore-tarpley"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - 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