Book excerpt: The Art of Fact The Tools of the Reporter The Craft of the Novelist The literary journalists are marvelous observers whose meticulous attention to detail is wedded to the tools and techniques of the fiction writer. Like reporters, they are fact gatherers whose material is the real world. Like fiction writers, they are consummate storytellers who endow their stories with a narrative structure and a distinctive voice. Literary journalists range from such bestselling authors as Tom Wolfe, Joan Didion, and Sara Davidson, to new writers like Mark Kramer and Richard West. What they share is a complete immersion in their subjects. A DAZZLING COLLECTION OF GREAT WRITING Interviews with literary journalists conducted especially for this book make this not only a superb collection to read and enjoy but the definitive work on some of the most exciting, influential, and critically acclaimed writing of our time.