I just finished writing a story about two moms who found time last week to go to the movies and step away from their responsibilities as mothers and wives. The moms saw “The Women” as part of a premiere event that a local moms group, Moms Out Loud, was sponsoring. Originally, my article was goingContinue reading “Moms Finding Time For Friends, Themselves”
Tag Archives: Dallas Morning News articles
Writing Concert Reviews on the Entertainment Beat
When I wrote about Steely Dan for my first concert review last month, I had difficulty speaking with authority on the band, seeing as I didn’t know its music well. Sure, I had researched the group, read reviews about its members and familiarized myself with its music on YouTube, but it was difficult to critiqueContinue reading “Writing Concert Reviews on the Entertainment Beat”
Listening to Children’s Stories
I’ve always enjoyed interviewing children, mostly because they get excited about talking to reporters. No cold shoulders. No “off the records.” No shameless plugs. In the past when I’ve covered school events, all the teacher had to do was introduce me as “the lady from the paper” and children would swarm me. “What are youContinue reading “Listening to Children’s Stories”
Finding My Way on the Ballet Beat
I wrote a story for Tuesday’s paper about the Texas Ballet Theater falling short in its fundraising goals. The company has to raise $1.5 million in pledges and $500,000 in cash within the next week or it will close. In writing so many stories about the ballet, I’ve developed a lot of local sources. IContinue reading “Finding My Way on the Ballet Beat”
Round-up of Recent Stories
A story I wrote about the Dallas Black Dance Theater’s youth ensemble, Bloom, ran in Tuesday’s Dallas Morning News. I found the story while trying to make contacts with local dance directors. I’ve been writing lots of stories about professional dance/ballet companies lately, but hadn’t yet written about a youth dance group, so this wasContinue reading “Round-up of Recent Stories”
Six Inches: Enough to Tell a Story?
I wrote another story about the Texas Ballet Theater this week. Because of space constraints, though, this story was much shorter than the others I’ve written. I swear, it’s harder to write a 250-word brief than it is to write a 1,000 word story. It seems that more and more papers feature shorter stories. I’veContinue reading “Six Inches: Enough to Tell a Story?”
How Art Can Help Heal
One of the feature stories I’ve been working on ran today as the main feature in the Sunday edition of The Dallas Morning News’ arts and entertainment section. You can read the story here: When he looks in the mirror, artist Charles William sees a reflection he often runs from, but one that heContinue reading “How Art Can Help Heal”
Opening Doors of Communication with Sources
We’re taught as journalists not to get too close to our sources. The story, after all, is about them, not about us. But I’ve always thought there’s an inherent tension here. When writing a story about someone, particularly for a profile or a feature, you often need to learn about the person’s past and whatContinue reading “Opening Doors of Communication with Sources”
Blogging from the Tejano Music Convention
I’ve learned a lot this past weekend about Tejano (Spanish-Texan) music and the musicians who play it. For the past couple of days I’ve attended various events at the national Tejano Music National Convention, which draws Tejanos from around the country. Yesterday I even took a Tejano dance class, which I loved. I think I’mContinue reading “Blogging from the Tejano Music Convention”
More from the Ballet Beat
Throughout the past couple of weeks, I’ve sort of just found my way onto the ballet beat. I wrote one story about the Texas Ballet Theater, then continued to follow the stories that came from it. The latest story I wrote, which ran in today’s paper, is about the theater needing to raise $1 millionContinue reading “More from the Ballet Beat”