Pearls Before Breakfast

Read this for Thursday's class. Try and pick out all the research that went into the piece, and think about how Weingarten went about doing that research.

This story won the Pulitzer for feature writing last year. While you don't have to read the Saul Pett piece, skim it and then compare the two.

We'll talk about this on Thursday.

Reporter finds dead body encased in ice

You have to read this. You just have to.

Reviews: Books, movies and restaurants

I've compiled several examples of book, movie and restaurant reviews to give you an idea of how they should be done.

Books
Growing Up and Getting by in the Land of the Nine-Month Winter (New York Times)

An Egotistical Architect as Seen by His Women (New York Times)

Insider's View of What Went Wrong in the Bronx (New York Times)

Movies
Dim 'Twilight' (Columbus Dispatch)

'Cats are back' (Columbus Dispatch)

Aging beautifully (Columbus Dispatch)

Restaurants
Street Menu That Says Stay a While (New York Times)

New Sparkle for a Four-Star Gem (New York Times)

A Climate That Favors Comfort (New York Times)

And, here are some tips for writing reviews:

Restaurant Reviews

Movie Reviews

Readings for Thursday

Read these features that stem from Tuesday's inauguration. I've tried to pick stories that were unique, which is hard when there are 8,000 media outlets (a made-up number, I'm sure it was higher).

As you read them, think about the ideas behind the stories. Think about how they fit into the types of features discussed in the textbook.

Hank Stuever in the Washington Post: "Everyone says they came to "witness history." They came to photograph history and text history and make video of history. They came to witness people who are witnessing people who are witnessing history who are in turn witnessing you witnessing history. Constant status updates on the witnessing of history."

Dan Barry in the New York Times: Shortly before lunchtime on Tuesday, a strange quiet settled over Junction City Middle School. Strange because quiet does not come naturally to a collection of 875 students in the full throes of adolescence. But this clearly was a moment, a time to set aside childish things.

Richard Lake in the Las Vegas Review Journal: Looking for Barack Obama keepsakes so you can celebrate today's (historic, we hear) inauguration as any good American will, with kitsch?

Go get yourself an Obama Pedicure. Or a Barack Thong. Heck, get a T-shirt or a baby bib with his mug shot pasted onto it.

But do not go looking for a first edition of The Amazing Spider-Man #583, released Jan. 14 -- especially the one with Obama on the cover. Your quest will fail.

Final Salute

We'll look at this story by Jim Sheeler in class, but if you get a chance, look it over before hand. Compare it to Mrs. Kelly's Monster, and look for the differences between a Pulitzer-winning feature from 1978 and a Pulitzer-winning feature from 2006.

"One thing about chefs, we're all full of s---."

We'll start things off with a feature from Ben Montgomery of the St. Petersburg Times. Ben is an insanely talented writer, and he is also one of the creators of Gangrey.com, which is also a blog that posts the best in narrative writing from around the country. You should all check out Gangrey at some time, because there is always good stuff there.

Anyway, here is how this story kicks off:

The old man looks uncomfortable.

Tell the one about the dead baby, everyone is saying. Tell the one about stealing three cabs in one night.

It's late afternoon at MJ's Martini Jazz Lounge in St. Petersburg, and Chef Tom Pritchard is holding court on the patio. The 50 or so guests here to plan his upcoming charity roast have adjourned their meeting and some are now mingling around the guest of honor, wine glasses in hand, prodding him.

Pritchard sits quietly, but he wants to please.

Tell the one about snorting Tabasco.

Pritchard looks up.

"Anyone can drink Tabasco," he mumbles.