{"id":17210,"date":"2026-05-15T13:03:05","date_gmt":"2026-05-15T13:03:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/?p=17210"},"modified":"2026-05-15T13:03:05","modified_gmt":"2026-05-15T13:03:05","slug":"your-next-story-is-outside","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/2026\/05\/15\/your-next-story-is-outside\/","title":{"rendered":"Your next story is outside"},"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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Recently, I was chatting with Storyboard contributor Kim Cross<\/a>, and we got to talking about freelance assignments and work projects. She shared a goal for her current work, which was to, essentially, close the laptop and get out in the world. Her reason? The stories are outside. <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

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Yes, there are millions of stories on the internet \u2014 troves of data, leads, information, and contacts that can be found online and on social media. But for a narrative journalist who is looking for real-life moments, the strategy of getting offline and getting face-to-face with friends and strangers seems like a brilliant approach, not to mention one that is also good for mental and physical health.  <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

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Our conversation came to mind as I read Emilia Wisniewski<\/a>‘s latest Power of Narrative recap, in which author and journalist Keith O\u2019Brien discovers that in order to get the untold origin story of NBA legend Larry Bird, he needed to travel to Bird’s hometown of French Lick, Indiana, to find connections and build trust in a way that emails, phone calls, and the internet simply couldn’t match. He showed up in the town (population: 2,000). The result is O\u2019Brien’s new book, the New York Times bestseller \u201cHeartland.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

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Finding the narrative in small-town libraries and bars: How Keith O\u2019Brien told the origin story of Larry Bird<\/a><\/h2>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
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\"Keith<\/a>
Keith O’Brien, author of \u201cHeartland\u201d (Photo by Liz Keenum Photography)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div> \n
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\u201cI need to invest in the story. If people aren\u2019t calling me back, maybe what I need to do is just go to French Lick. And so that\u2019s what I did: bought a plane ticket, got a rental car and booked a room at the Best Western on the edge of town. And then before I left with those numbers and those addresses that I knew were right, I reached out again \u2026 and it was then that people started getting back in touch with me.\u201d<\/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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Question of the week: Tell us your favorite graduation speech<\/h2>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
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It’s cap-and-gown season, which seems like a good moment to share storytelling lessons from our favorite graduation speeches. <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

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Like wedding toasts, this is a tough genre to do well, complete with a tricky audience to keep happy. Ira Glass recently dismissed the entire category<\/a> as a \u201cdoomed form\u201d (though he’s still given<\/a> many<\/a> of them<\/a>). But these short, punchy addresses can be memorable and life-affirming \u2014 you might remember when Chicago Tribune columnist Mary Schmich redefined the entire genre<\/a> with the following words: “Wear sunscreen.”<\/a> <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

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So I\u2019m curious: what are your favorite graduation speeches, and what storytelling lessons can we take from them? Email me your picks and why you love them: editor@niemanstoryboard.org<\/a><\/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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