Crafting Truth introduces the reader to the craft of creative nonfiction by showing them models from the best nonfiction writers and offering plentiful exercises to help them more artfully tell true stories.

Table of Contents:
Preface xiii ___ Introduction 1 The Form and Theory of Creative Nonfiction 1 On Missing the Target 2 The Collapse of the Narrator 3 Telling It Straight 4 Taking the Reflective Turn 6 Building It Scene by Scene 7 Creating Tension 9 Casting a Wide Net 12 Writing With (and Against) Tradition 14 Using Crafting Truth 16 How to Read for Craft 16 ___ Part 1 The Essayists 21 Introduction to the Personal Essay 21 A Brief History of the Essay 21 Essays as Narratives of Thought 22 New Forms of the Essay 24 1.1 ORDER OUT OF WILD DISORDER EXC E R P T F RO M E . B. WHITE’ S The Ring of Time 25 1.2 A FATHER’S FLAWS EXC E R P T F RO M JA M E S BALDW I N ’ S Notes of a Native Son 31 1.3 PRICKLY DREAD ON BANYAN STREET EXC E R P T F RO M J OA N D I D I O N ’ S Some Dreamers of the Golden Dream 36 1.4 YOU DID NOT CHANGE EXC E R P T F RO M A L I C E WALKER’ S Beauty:When the Other Dancer Is the Self 42 1.5 CUTTING IT STRAIGHT EXC E R P T F ROM SCOT T RU S S E L L S A N D E R S ’ S The Inheritance of Tools 48 1.6 THE BEGINNING AND END OF A MAN’S LIFE EXC E R P T F ROM ANDRE DUBUS’ S Broken Vessels 54 1.7 A GREAT MOMENT OF NEED EXC E R P T F ROM NA N C Y M A I R S’ S On Touching by Accident 59 1.8 VAMOOSE TO THE VOMIT CORNER EXC E R P T F ROM DAV I D S E DA R I S ’ S The SantaLand Diaries 64 1.9 A SCAFFOLD FOR LANGUAGE EXC E R P T F ROM ANDER MONSON’S Outline Toward a Theory of the Mine Versus the Mind and the Harvard Outline 69 ___ Part 2 The Memoirists 75 Introduction to Memoir 75 Ethics in the Age of Memoir 76 Is There a Story Worth Telling? 77 2.1 I MADE HIM OUT OF DREAMS EXC E R P T F ROM TO B I A S WO L F F ’ S This Boy’s Life 79 2.2 LONG AGO WHEN DOGS COULD TALK EXC E R P T F RO M N . SCOT T MOMADAY ’ S The Way to Rainy Mountain 84 2.3 TELLING THE TRUTH ABOUT DREAMS, VISIONS, AND PRAYERS EXC E R P T F ROM MAX I N E H O N G K I N G S TO N ’ S The Woman Warrior 89 2.4 THE ACHE MADE PHYSICAL EXC E R P T F RO M G R E T E L E H R L I C H ’ S The Solace of Open Spaces 93 2.5 POWERFUL PRAYERS EXC E R P T F ROM FRANK MCCOURT ’ S Angela’s Ashes 97 2.6 SAFE IN THE CENTER EXC E R P T F ROM MARY C L E A R M A N B L EW ’ S All But the Waltz 101 2.7 A CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE EARTH EXCERPT FROM TERRY TEMPEST WILLIAMS’S Refuge 106 2.8 I COULD BE GOING OUT, SURE EXC E R P T F ROM DAV E E G G E R S ’ S A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius 110 ___ Part 3 The Literary Journalists 115 Introduction to Literary Journalism 115 New and Not New 115 Ethical Dramas 117 Building Blocks of Literary Journalism 118 3.1 THE SMELL OF SWEAT EXC E R P T F RO M JA M E S AGEE’ S Let Us Now Praise Famous Men 121 3.2 THE WHEELING OF HAWKS EXC E R P T F ROM TRUMAN CAPOT E’ S In Cold Blood 126 3.3 MAILER’S TOWER EXC E R P T F ROM NORMAN MAILER’ S The Armies of the Night 132 3.4 TOO FREAKING TRUE! EXC E R P T F ROM TOM WO L F E’ S The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test 136 3.5 A FINE, SOLEMN SWAGGER EXC E R P T F RO M JANE KRAMER’ S The Last Cowboy 141 3.6 CLAUSTROPHOBIA EXC E R P T F RO M E R I K L A R S O N ’ S The Devil in the White City 146 3.7 A FOOD FOR WHAT AILS YOU EXC E R P T F RO M J O S E P H M I TCHELL’ S Old Mr. Flood 152 3.8 A LIGHT TOUCH OF THE LIPS EXC E R P T F RO M D I A N E ACKERMAN’S A Natural History of the Senses 157 ___ Part 4 A Brief Anthology 163 Introduction 163 S T U D E N T E S S A Y 4.1 ANDREA OYARZABAL Math,Metamorphosis, and Monarchs 164 E S S A Y 4.2 LIA PURPURA Autopsy Report 170 4.3 SARAH VOWELL Thanks for the Memorex 176 M E M O I R 4.4 LAUREN SLATER Lying 182 4.5 JOHN EDGAR WIDEMAN Brothers and Keepers 195 L I T E R A R Y J O U R N A L I S M 4.6 H. G. BISSINGER Boobie 206 4.7 SUSAN ORLEAN The American Man at Age Ten 210   Appendix: The Literary Landscape of Creative Nonfiction 221 Bibliography 229 Credits 231 Index 233