Books by Jack Hart

"Storytelling is one of the few traits common to all human societies. A sequence of actions, a sympathetic character, a complication, a resolution-the key ingredients in a story are as familiar to us today as they were to our ancestors. Although we may associate the form with fictional narratives such as novels and movies, the same ingredients also underlie the best nonfiction works, including those by David Grann, Mary Roach, Tracy Kidder, and John McPhee. In the first edition of Storycraft, Jack Hart illustrated how these and other nonfiction writers, including many he coached over decades at the Oregonian, used the ingredients of story to create compelling and award-winning works of narrative nonfiction. For this revision, he has expanded the field to consider how storytelling techniques can be used in the rapidly growing nonfiction form of podcasting. He has added insights from recent research into storytelling and the brain, illustrating how facts and arguments effectively embedded in narrative are more likely to stick in readers' minds. And he has added new examples of effective nonfiction narratives."--

"Originally published in 2006 as A Writer's Coach, the book has been updated to address the needs of contemporary writers well beyond print journalists. It retains the structure of the original, beginning by breaking down the writing process into a series of manageable stages-from idea to polishing-each of which is crucial to the next. While emphasizing the importance of the early stages, including information gathering and organizing, Hart also delves deeply into the elusive characteristics achieved through polishing, such as force, clarity, rhythm, color, and voice. Each chapter is filled with real examples, both good and bad, of these attributes. The book concludes with updated advice and resources for mastering the craft of writing. With these revisions, Wordcraft now functions as a set with the new edition of Hart's book Storycraft, on the art of storytelling, as the author always intended"--

As Skookum Summer begins, the year is 1981, and reporter Tom Dawson slinks back to his tiny Puget Sound hometown after making a disastrous mistake at the LA Times. Working reluctantly at the local weekly, the Big Skookum Echo, Tom is drawn into investigating a powerful loggers murder.As the mystery deepens, the murder exposes the strains on the community as pollution, development, and global change threaten traditional Northwest livelihoods. It also forces Tom to confront his own past and discover what home really means to him. Hart weaves together a gripping and suspenseful plot with richly observed Pacific Northwest history and a vivid picture of a community on the brink of change.