More Dart Thoughts.

 

Lori Grinker's book is just one of the many incredible bodies of work done by Dart Center Ochberg Fellows.

 

I’m still brimming with excitement from all that I saw and heard during the past couple of days at the Dart Society reunion in Indianapolis.

The caliber of the other Ochberg Fellows is phenomenal.  

Among our ranks are Lisa Pollak, who wrote a Pulitzer Prize-winning story about umpire John Hirschbeck, who came to national attention in the late 90s after being spat on by Roberto Alomar, Pulitzer Prize-winning photographers Kim Komenich and John Moore, and outstanding shooters like Lori Grinker, who published an illuminating and haunting book about war veterans called Afterwar: Veterans From A World in Conflict, were there, too.   I’ve not yet looked at Lori’s whole book, but am excited to do so soon. 

Kelly Kennedy, herself a veteran, has written a forthcoming book about a hard hit squad with which she embedded.  The book builds on a powerful multi-media series she wrote for the Military Times. 

Photo editor Kari Rene Hall shared the results of the intimate access she gained during four years to the struggles and triumphs of Henry Guiliante , his wife Michelle and their four children, all of whom lived in a hotel room.  Kari initially published her work in the Los Angeles Times and did a follow up piece for Brian Storm, who was then at MSNBC.com.

Fellows also shared the impact that covering trauma had on them.  

I wrote yesterday about Mike Walter’s documentary film, Breaking News, Breaking Down, which includes a section on how witnessing a American Airlines flight crashing into the Pentagon on September 11, 2001 affected him.  

Photographer John Trotter, in a photo exhibit and audio slideshow, chronicled his near death due to a savage beating by five people and his learning anew how to photograph by returning six months later to the same facility where he had received medical treatment.

And on and on and on. 

In short, it is an utterly remarkable group of talented, ambitious, idealistic, driven and dedicated journalists and editors, and I felt and feel humbled to be part of the group.

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