Please Read "Obama's Way" For Tuesday

Please read the Vanity Fair immersion piece, "Obama's Way," by Michael Lewis for Tuesday. Here it is:  http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/2012/10/michael-lewis-profile-barack-obama

Q&As and More

Sample Q&As:

Pittsburgh Magazine (Q&A with Pittsburgh Dad):
http://www.pittsburghmagazine.com/Pittsburgh-Magazine/August-2012/Dad-Knows-Best/

And if you've never seen Pittsburgh Dad, here's a recent one:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXiZnjCf2T8

City Paper's "On the Record" Feature:
http://www.pghcitypaper.com/pittsburgh/on-the-record-with-wanda-guthrie-of-the-thomas-merton-centers-committee-on-environmental-justice/Content?oid=1567227

Brian Brodeur's "How a Poem Happens":
http://howapoemhappens.blogspot.com/

The Guardian Q&A Feature:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2012/sep/07/peter-tatchell-human-rights-gay-activist

Harpers Bazaar Style Q&A:
http://www.harpersbazaar.com/fashion/fashion-articles/preston-davis-shopping-list#slide-1

Rolling Stone Q&A:
http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/news/q-a-boardwalk-empires-kelly-macdonald-on-margarets-independent-streak-20120918

Whirl Magazine:
http://www.whirlmagazine.com/2012/04/qa-with-pittsburgh-marathon-triple-threat/


And just a site you should know about:  http://rookiemag.com/2012/09/24/
This is from Tavi Gevinson, wunderkind style blogger. It's a magazine for teenage girls. The story concepts are pretty brilliant. Her sense of audience is spot-on. And don't get me started on voice. It's a great example of content perfectly matched to readers. Go!

This Week: Submitting Your Work, Effective Q&A's, and Planning Your Immersion Piece

Tuesday, Sept. 18:

We'll finish workshop of the how-to pieces and review how to (ha!) submit your work.

You'll present your ideas for timely/seasonal Q&As and choose one to pursue. Your finished Q&A will be due next Tuesday, Sept. 25. 700 words. Be sure to name your target magazine.

For Thursday, draft a paragraph describing your immersion project. Include the following information:

*  Rationale for the story (news value, timeliness, interest)
*  Target market(s)/magazine(s)
*  Proposed sources (at least two) and evaluation of access
*  Reportage plan (fly-on-the-wall, etc.)

This Week in Magazine Writing

On Tuesday, Sept. 11, we'll continue workshop of your how-to pieces. If we don't complete all pieces in workshop, we'll finish on Thursday, Sept. 13.

Also on Thursday, Sept. 13, we'll plan for your next piece -- a Q&A with a timely or seasonal news link. I'll review this in class.

Over the weekend, please revise your how-to pieces and bring electronic copies to class on Tuesday, Sept. 18. Also please bring five story/source ideas for your Q&As.

Matt Taibbi's News-Making Story on Mitt Romney

Read here: http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/greed-and-debt-the-true-story-of-mitt-romney-and-bain-capital-20120829