David's Guests

Guest Lecturers: Please make your selection from the following presentations and Q&A's. Most involve distinguished visitors to David's classes:

• Jeffrey Toobin on Legal Reporting - An article from the Daily Northwestern covering a presentation, "Reporting on America's Legal System," by New Yorker correspondent and CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin. A brief article from the Medill News archives on Toobin's lecture is also available [11/26//12].

• Ginia Bellafante on Column Writing - A transcript of a presentation, "The Education of a Columnist," by Ginia Bellafante, the writer of the "Big City" column in the New York Times and the paper's former television and cultural critic [11/21/11].

• Michael Slackman on Foreign Correspondence - A transcript of a presentation, "Making the Foreign Familiar," by New York Times Deputy Foreign Editor Michael Slackman, the Times' former Berlin and Cairo bureau chief. An article from the Daily Northwestern on Slackman's lecture is also available [11/14/11].

• Virginia Heffernan on Digital Culture - An article from the Daily Northwestern covering a presentation, "Reporting on Digital Culture," by New York Times columnist Virginia Heffernan [2/21//11].

• Alessandra Stanley on Television and Popular Cutlure - A transcript of a presentation, "Reporting on Popular Culture," by Alessandra Stanley, the chief television critic of the New York Times Magazine [11/16/09].

• David Samuels on Reporting Across Boundaries - A transcript of a presentation, "Reporting Across Boundaries: The Political, Social and Cultural Frontier," by David Samuels, a contributing editor to Harper's Magazine [2/23/09].

• C.J. Chivers on Foreign Correspondence - A transcript of a presentation, "Foreign Correspondence: The World on Deadline," by the prize-winning New York Times foreign correspondent Chris Chivers [2/16/09].

• Bill Emmott on the Future of Journalism - A transcript of the 2008 Convocation Address given at the Medill graduation ceremony by Bill Emmott, the former editor-in-chief of the Economist. Emmott was also the recipient of an honorary degree, Doctor of Humane Letters, at the 2008 Northwestern University Commencement [6/21/08].

• Alex Kuczynski on Popular Culture - An article from the Daily Northwestern covering a presentation, "Style and Substance: Reporting on Popular Culture," by New York Times style reporter Alex Kuczynski, author of Beauty Junkies: Inside Our $15 Billion Obsession with Plastic Surgery [11/12/07].

• Michael Specter on Science Reporting - A transcript of a presentation, "Writing About Science and Society," by New Yorker staff writer Michael Specter. An article on Specters's visit is also available [2/26/07].

• Brooke Kroeger on Reporting on People - The text of a presentation, "Reporting on People: The Biographical Imperative," by Brooke Kroeger, chair of the New York University Department of Journalism and author of Passing, Fannie and Nelly Bly [2/19/07].

• Margaret Talbot of the New Yorker - Some biographical information on Margaret Talbot, a frequent contributor to the New Yorker and a Northwestern University Distinguished Visitor [11/13/06/06]. In addition, links to many of her articles can be found at this list of her publications.

• Charlie LeDuff on Moving On - An interview with Charlie LeDuff, a Northwestern University Distinguished Visitor [2/20/06] and former Pulitzer-Prize winning reporter for the New York Times, at a career crossroad.

• Dan and Meg Baum on Public Interest Journalism - A article reporting on the awarding of the John Barlow Martin Prize to Dan and Meg Baum, a writing/editing team on the staff of the New Yorker [2/13/06].

• Jennnifer 8. Lee on the Right Questions - A article outlining a presentation, "Reporting on Other Worlds," by Jennifer 8. Lee, a general assignment reporter on the Metro section of the New York Times [11/21/05].

• Katherine Boo on Intimate Stories - An article from the Daily Northwestern reporting on a presentation, "Questioning the Purposes of Journalism," by New Yorker staff writer Katherine Boo, a Pulitzer Prize winner and MacArthur Fellow [11/14/05].

• Rick Atkinson on History and Journalism - A transcript of a presentation, "History, Journalism and Covering Wars Past and Present," by Washington Post writer Rick Atkinson, three-time Pulitzer-Prize winner and author of In the Company of Soldiers and Army at Dawn [2/28/05].

• Deborah Sontag on Compassionate Journalism - An article covering a presentation, "Passion and Compassion in Journalism," by Deborah Sontag, member of the New York Times investigative reporting team and former staff writer of the paper's Sunday Magazine [2/21/05].

• Peter Landesman on Dangerous Stories - A transcript of a presentation, "Covering Other Realities," by New York Times Magazine contributor Peter Landesman, author of The Raven and Blood Acre [11/15/04].

• Gail Collins on Newspaper Editorials - A article outlining a presentation, "The Art of the Editorial Essay: penning Up Opinions," by Gail Collins, editor of the New York Times editorial page and author of American's Women and Scorpion Tongues [11/8/04].

• Jodi Wilgoren on Campaign Reporting - An article covering a presentation, "Lessons from the Trail: Reporting on the Kerry Campaign," by New York Times campaign correspondent and Chicago bureau chief Jodi Wilgoren [5/24/04].

• Michael Wolff on the Media Business - A article outlining a presentation, "The Self-Referential Press," by Michael Wolff, contributing writer to Vanity Fair and author of Autumn of the Moguls and Burn Rate [5/17/04].

• Rick Lyman on Journalism and Pop Culture - A transcript of a presentation, "America, The Movie: The Press and Popular Culture," by New York Times national culture correspondent Rick Lyman, author of Watching Movies: The Biggest Names in Cinema Talk About the Films That Matter Most [3/1/04].

• Dorothy Rabinowitz on Editorial Writing - A transcript of a presentation, "Advocacy Journalism: Setting the Record Straight," by Wall Street Journal editorial board member Dorothy Rabinowitz, author of No Crueler Tyrannies, New Lives: Holocaust Living in America and Home Life [2/23/04].

• Larissa MacFarquhar on Profiles - A transcript of a presentation, "The Profile: People and Place," by New Yorker staff writer Larissa MacFarquhar. An article on MacFarquar's visit from the Daily Northwestern is also available [11/17/03].

• Tracy Kidder on Reporting - A article on a Medill Crain lecture, "The Purposes of Journalism: Reporting that Matters," by Tracy Kidder, Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award winner, former NU Writer-in-Residence and author of Mountains Beyond Mountains and The Soul of the New Machine[11/10/03].

• Alex Stille on Narrative Writing - A transcript of a presentation, "The Narrative Imperative," by Alex Stille, NU Writer-in-Residence, contributor to The New Yorker and The New York Times Magazineand author of The Future of the Past and Excellent Cadavers [11/5/03].

• Tom Goldstein on Journalism - A transcript of a presentation, "Thinking About Journalism: Letting Outsiders In," by Tom Goldstein, former dean of the Berkeley and Columbia j-schools and author of News at Any Cost and Killing the Messenger [11/5/03].

• Ron Rosenbaum on Writing - A transcript of a presentation, "The Journalism of Ideas," by Ron Rosenbaum, contributor to The New Yorker and The New York Observer and author of Explaining Hitler and The Secret Parts of Fortune. An article on Rosenbaum's visit from the Daily Northwestern, is also available [5/12/03].

• Gretel Ehrlich on Reporting - A article outlining a presentation, "Reporting from the Edge: Places with Meaning," by Gretel Ehrlich, contributing writer to The New Yorker and author of This Cold Heaven and The Solace of Open Spaces. The article on Ehrlich's visit is from the Daily Northwestern [3/3/03].

• Stephen Kinzer on Foreign Correspondence - A transcript of a presentation, "Journalism and Culture: Between Two Worlds," by New York Times national culture correspondent Stephen Kinzer, author of Crescent and Star: Turkey Between Two Worlds and Blood of Brothers: Life and War in Nicaragua [2/24/03].

• Bil Gilbert on Narrative Journalism - A article reporting on a presentation, "Telling Stories: Thoughts on Narrative Journalism," by Bil Gilbert, contributor to Sports Illustrated and author of Westering Man and The First American Civil War [2/27/03].

• Peggy Orenstein on Reporting - A article outlining a presentation, "Reporting on the Politics of Everyday Life," by Peggy Orenstien, contributing writer to The New York Times Magazine and author of Flux and Schoolgirls [11/11/02].

• Roger Cohen on Writing - A transcript of a presentation, "Substitute for Love," by the former New York Times foreign editor Roger Cohen, author of Hearts Grown Brutal: Sagas of Sarajevo and In the Eye of the Storm [3/4/02].

• Caryl Rivers on Reporting - A transcript of a presentation, "The Personal Made Public: Reporting on Social Change," by Ms. and Rolling Stone contributor Caryl Rivers, author of Slick Spins and Fractured Facts and She Says He Says. In addition, the text of a second Rivers presentation, "Aboard the Narrative Train, is also available [2/25/02].

• Michael Kammen on the American Vision - A transcript of a presentation, "American Landscape, American Vision: The Cycle of the Seasons in Cultural and Historical Perspective," by Cornell University's Michael Kammen, author of American Culture, American Tastes. The talk, unrelated to David's classes, was sponsored by Northwestern University's Center for the Humanities [11/28/01].

• JoAnn Wypijewski on Writing and Editing - A transcript of a presentation, "Reporting/Writing/Editing: The Untold Story," by Harper's contributor JoAnn Wypijewski, former senior editor of The Nation [11/19/01].

• Malcolm Gladwell on Writing - A article from the Daily Northwestern outlining a presentation by Malcom Galdwell, author of The Tipping Point and staff writer at The New Yorker [11/12/01].

• Marie Brenner on Reporting - A transcript of a presentation, "Truth and Consequences: Reporting That Matters," by Vanity Fair writer-at-large Marie Brenner, author of Great Dames and "The Man Who Knew Too Much" [2/19/01].

• Scott Anderson on War Reporting - A transcript of a presentation, "War Correspondence: Journalism at the Edge," by New York Times Sunday Magazine and Harper's contributor Scott Anderson, author of The Man Who Tried to Save the World [11/20/00].

• Lillian Ross's "Talk of the Town" - A transcript of a reading of one of her favorite pieces, "The Shit-Kickers of Madison Avenue," by New Yorker staff writer Lillian Ross, author of Here But Not Here and Picture [11/13/00].

• Nicholas Lemann on Reporting - A transcript of a presentation, "Reporting the American Dream," by New Yorker staff writer Nicholas Lemann, author of The Big Test and The Promised Land. Lemann is also the dean of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism [3/6/00].

• John Seabrook on "The Naive Narrator" - A transcript of a presentation on the nature of nonfiction narration by New Yorker staff writer John Seabrook, author of NoBrow: The Culture of Marketing, The Marketing of Culture [3/1/00].

• Katie Hafner on Journalism and Technology - A transcript of a presentation, "Journalism and Technology: The New Literacy," by New York Times technlogy correspondent Katie Hafner, co-author of Cyberpunk and Where the Wizards Stay Up Late [2/21/00].

• Sebastian Junger on Reconstructive Narrative - A article covering a presentation by Sebastian Junger, author of The Perfect Storm and contributor to The New York Times Magazine, Harper's and Vanity Fair [11/29/99].

• Alex Witchel on Interviewing - A article covering a presentation on the craft of in-person reporting by New York Times style reporter Alex Witchel, author of Girls Only [11/22/99].

• John Seabrook on The New Yorker - A transcript of a presentation, "Highbrow, Lowbrow, NoBrow: A Recent History of the New Yorker," by staff writer John Seabrook [3/11/99].

• George Lundberg on Medical Journalism - A transcript of a presentation by George Lundberg, the former editor of the AMA Journal, on the changing nature of editorial independence [2/17/99].

• Stefan Aust on Magazine Editing - A transcript of a Q&A session on the nature of magazine journalism in Europe by the editor in chief of Der Spiegel, Germany's most influential magazine [8/20/98].

• Olivier Royant on Magazine Editing - A transcript of a Q&A session on the role of magazines in French society by the deputy editor of Paris Match, France's most widely read magazine [7/28/98].

• Bill Emmott on Magazine Editing - A transcript of a Q&A session on magazine journalism by the editor in chief of The Economist, perhaps the world's best newsmagazine [7/21/98].

• Caryl Rivers on Teaching Writing - A transcript of a presentation by the accomplished author and master teacher, Caryl Rivers, professor of journalism at Boston University, from the AEJMC Magazine Division Meeting in New Orleans [3/13/98].

• Sallie Tisdale on Writing - A transcript of a presentation by the celebrated essayist and nonfiction author,Sallie Tisdale, with an introduction by Medill Acting Dean Abe Peck [11/24/97].

• Gay and Nan Talese on Writing - A transcript of a presentation by noted author Gay Talese and Doubleday editor Nan Talese, with an introduction by NU Writer in Residence Alex Kotlowitz [11/10/97].

• Alan Lightman on Writing - A transcript of a Q&A session with the widely published author, Alan Lightman, an M.I.T Professor of Science and Writing [10/30/97].

• Freeman Dyson on Writing - A transcript of a Q&A session with the physicist and award-winning author, Freeman Dyson of Princeton University's Institute for Advanced Studies [10/9/97].