{"id":16715,"date":"2026-01-30T13:55:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-30T13:55:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/?p=16715"},"modified":"2026-01-30T14:24:00","modified_gmt":"2026-01-30T14:24:00","slug":"piecing-together-the-past","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/2026\/01\/30\/piecing-together-the-past\/","title":{"rendered":"Piecing together the past"},"content":{"rendered":" \n
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Sign up for the Nieman Storyboard newsletter,<\/em><\/a> delivered every Friday in your inbox.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

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

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Dear Storyboard community: <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

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As journalists we often capture history as it unfolds in real time \u2014\u00a0either in person or through a stream of on-the-ground reporting, images, and videos.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

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But other times we must piece together the past through a different perspective, and the nature of our work changes. This week, Storyboard contributor Kim Cross takes us through an annotated chapter<\/a> from journalist Brendan O\u2019Meara’s book \u201cThe Front Runner: The Life of Steve Prefontaine.\u201d<\/a> <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

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The legendary runner died at age 24 in 1975, five years before O\u2019Meara was born. Telling Prefontaine’s story, and understanding his psychology, posed a challenge that excited O\u2019Meara, who also hosts the Creative Nonfiction Podcast<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

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As O’Meara notes, intensive research and reporting can build confidence in your voice and insights as the narrator. \u201cA biographer brings a point of view, a framing to the story. Matt [Harper, O’Meara’s editor] would tell me, \u2018You probably know him better than anyone at this point based on the reading you’ve done and the people you\u2019ve spoken to. You can make assertions.\u2019 In fact, he insisted that I do that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

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For more stories that dig into the work of our favorite authors and journalists, check out Storyboard’s full archive of story annotations<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

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Annotation: How Brendan O\u2019Meara Reconstructs Steve Prefontaine\u2019s Legendary Races in \u2018The Front Runner\u2019<\/a><\/h2>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
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\"\u201dThe<\/a>
\u201dThe Front Runner,\u201d by Brendan O’Meara<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div> \n
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The journalist, podcaster, and biographer shares tips on writing scenes you can\u2019t witness firsthand, and getting inside the mind of subjects who are no longer around to interview. <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

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[ Read the story<\/a> ]<\/strong><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

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Links of note<\/h2>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
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