Literature of Journalism: Text and Context, The

Newspaper Research Journal, Winter 1999 by Opt, Susan

The Literature of Journalism: Text and Context by R. Thomas Berner

(State College, Pennsylvania: Strata Publishing, 1999. $24.95) 288 pp.

The Literature of Journalism: Text and Context joins a lineup of books released in the past couple of years that examine the development and trends of literary journalism. Author R. Thomas Berner presents 18 literary journalism book and magazine excerpts from the 20th century that exemplify a wide range of journalistic approaches and techniques. Common among the works was the reporters' need to go beyond the bounds of the inverted pyramid style to involve readers in the story and issues at hand. Berner provides introductory and concluding commentary that describes the historical, social and political context in which each work was written. For example, the reader sees how George Orwell's piece "The Road to Wigan Pier" was influenced by the politics of socialism and, at the same time, how it dissected the socialist point of view of the time period.

Berner also describes how the various reporters researched and created their stories. For example, he tells how A.J. Liebling was able to get Louisiana Governor Earl Long to agree to an interview by the asking of a single question, resulting in the piece, "The Earl of Louisiana." Berner also discusses how the critics' views of the work have changed over time. The reader comes to understand why James Agee died believing his work, "Let Us Now Praise Famous Men," to be a failure and how after its reissue following his death it came to be viewed as a classic.

This book has emerged out of Berner's classroom experiences and his attempts to get students to understand that such literary works develop within a context. Each article was selected to illustrate a particular aspect of the creating, writing or advancing of literary journalism.

In addition, Berner's commentary often includes information about a specific writer's evolution and how writers influence each other. He bases his observations about each article on critical reviews and academic essays.

This collection of essays is designed for college classroom use and it provides a good starting point for discussing literary journalism writing forms and techniques. The commentary makes students aware of the various influences on writing and issues that arise - whether from editors or the public - when writers do literary journalism. A strength of this book compared to others of its kind is the inclusion of international authors. This is a reminder that the United States is not the only locale for literary journalism.

A weakness of this book is the heavy reliance on the critical reviews and academic essays in the writing of the commentary. While the documentation lends credence to Berner's main points about the articles and provides resources for further research, after a while one feels like he or she is reading a series of headlines about the articles. The last chapter, "The Great China Earthquake," is the exception because it reflects more of Berner's own thoughts and analysis.

Berner is a professor of journalism and American Studies at Pennsylvania State University. He has written several textbooks on contemporary newspaper editing and writing, and he has published several essays about the literature of journalism.

Susan Opt is an assistant professor of communication and communication program coordinator at the University of Houston-Victoria in Texas