WELCOME ABOARD THE NARRATIVE TRAIN

Narrative journalism is breaking out all over. Rare in newspapers just a decade ago, scorned by editors as work for storytellers, not reporters, serials now run often in most major papers. Topical books that draw readers into the action are now moving a third generation of writers onto best seller lists: John Hersey, Lillian Ross, Tom Wolfe, Joan Didion, and John McPhee have been followed by Tracy Kidder, Anne Fadiman, and Adrian Nicole LeBlanc. Complex public radio pieces now routinely shun the official, generic voice of the narrator for personal work that fits snugly and accurately around small, telling events. And the films of Errol Morris, Fred Wiseman and Ross McElwee prove that narrative documentaries, while a tough sell to chain movie theaters and network TV, can break through.

The reason, in all these cases, must be that the power of narrative recalls and illuminates the real-life situations of subjects. The new narrative is successful. It snags multi-tasking modern audiences and flips them into deep consideration of crucial issues that take time to explore. It helps writers to attract and inform readers. The few reporters at paper who've developed their narrative skills are in great demand. They're discovering each other, and deepening their practice. Book writers have become conscious, not accidental, explorers of the genre of literary journalism. And the radio and film documentarists have brought strong craftsmanship that broadens and challenges their media.

All these writers will meet at Boston University on December 2 and 3, 2000, for the Aboard the Narrative Train III conference on narrative journalism.

We're accelerating. Narrative Train I drew about 400 journalists and writers, who discussed technique and practice in one hall. Last year, Narrative Train II drew 700, also to one big hall, save for an hour of breakout sessions. Narrative Train III is an explosion. We're expanding to two full days, with three all-group plenary sessions. The rest of the conference features six hard choices per time block. Our line-up of speakers is so good we're anticipating moans and sighs for great second-choices not attended. But we'll have tapes of sessions available afterwards. We'll have nearly twice as many speakers as last year. Each will offer a solo session and also a panel with one or two other speakers.

This year, The Poynter Institute has designated us an official National Writers' Workshop, along with ten other annual conferences for working writers across the country. This will help spread word of our important national discussion about how journalists and authors may accurately and artfully deal with our complicated, dynamic, exhilarating, troubling, all too real world.

We're anticipating writers, journalists, radio, and film people from the major papers and stations (over 200 were represented last year), from most states (30 last year), and from abroad (Canada, Mexico, England, Denmark last year). Register early: we can host a lot of people, but just might run out of space. You must register on-line this year, at www.bu.edu/narrative. If you have any questions, email us at story@bu.edu, or call us at (617) 353-7738.