Journalism of Ideas

CHAPTER 1

The Idea Stage

“I saw stories everywhere. At dinner parties, I would leave with two or three story ideas. Every phone conversation, every movie or play, every walk down the street or trip on the subway brimmed with possibilities. I wrote down every idea that occurred to me, on scraps of paper that I stuffed into my jacket pockets. When I arrived at the office, I would empty my overflowing pockets and sort through the scraps.”

Arthur Gelb, former New York Times managing editor, reflecting on his days as deputy metro editor

In space, astronauts occasionally hover around a kitchen table.

There is no practical need for a table in a ...