Episode 91: Ethan Watters On Longform Journalism

Journalist Ethan Watters spent the past two years working on a single magazine article. This week, in what he calls “a high point for feeling completion,” he joins BQ and Larry in the GrottoPod to discuss the challenges, triumphs and eye-opening discoveries he experienced while working on “The Love Story that Upended the Texas Prison System” for Texas Monthly.“I have 3,500 pages of material, and it’s good, but it’s like pulling down a puzzle from your grandmother’s attic and trying to decide what fits.”09:14: How a magazine article became a two-year journey17:33: Finding a life/work balance in the midst of a consuming project35:18: Facing challenges and working through a low point45:09: How a project of this size impacts and changes its writer, and opens up new areas of career interest53:12: How to determine when major project is “complete.”
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