Column

Harrington: Literary journalism means the art of listening

By JOE OWENS, ISU SPJ Vice President

April 9, 2006

 

ST. LOUIS  – "Listen when something speaks to you." These were the words that stuck out most – rather, really struck a chord – with me when Walt Harrington, a former writer for the Washington Post Magazine and a journalism professor at the University of Illinois, spoke at the SPJ regional conference in St. Louis on April 8.  Harrington simply meant that in order to do what you want as a journalist, you must first learn to mix ambitions with abilities.

Harrington was describing a life of writing literary journalism, a brand of nonfiction, popularized by Tom Wolfe, Gay Talese and Hunter Thompson in the 1960s and dubbed then as the "New Journalism."

Wolfe's formula for the craft was immersion in action.  The action moves you through time. At the time, Wolfe regretted very much laying out this formula because anyone could then learn to write literary journalism.

This craft meshes the descriptive nature of the fiction narrative with true-life stories to create a fact-based and compelling read. Harrington also cited other sources for the methods of literary journalism, including documentary writing, sociology and anthropology.  He said that you see the world, experience it and then tell about it. 

It's something of a convergence: "Citizen Journalism." It's a model for how people connect.

Harrington likened the form to a cop ride-along story where it is important to capture everything: dialogue, sights, and smells – it's reporting through the senses. Literary journalism's ties with the novel are also apparent. The writer must be inside characters and know what they are feeling, internally. In fiction, there is an omniscient narrator. The same is true regarding literary journalism.

Gary Smith, writer for Sports Illustrated, was quoted once as saying, "Have courage not to write – think beforehand and let the game come to you." In other words, the literary journalist must be careful with his/her craft. Form matters as much as facts.

            Harrington said the process of producing literary journalism requires more than just polished skills. The proper motivation is critical too. He said that creativity relies on a various forms of stimulation.  Harrington says one should find a quiet place to concentrate.  Keep themes, take notes and let the ideas simmer. Sometimes, something as simple as a 15-minute nap will rejuvenate the stifled writer.

According to Harrington, ethical challenges are inherent to literary journalism.  How can accuracy be gauged? What about your methodology?  To tread the balance between immersion and truth is a fine line. Some writers, like Thompson, have trampled all over that line. Others are much more careful. They feel their faithfulness to fact is paramount.

Ultimately, Harrington said, the challenge is to make the material your own.  Eventually, it will wash over you.  However, you should not sacrifice accuracy for richness of detail. You become an author instead of a journalist then.

The biggest and best kept secret kept about writing literary journalism is that you have to read.  A literary journalist must model their style after those who came before and ultimately, become a life-long student of the craft.