Gurnett’s attitude in this piece is curious, compassionate, never melodramatic. Gurnett achieves "narrative distance," a detachment from her subject, even as she seeks to understand him. Her writing has more voice than we often find in smaller papers: She uses bold verbs, punchy sentences—a style with attitude, which makes the piece a good read. On top of that, the details of her profile serve her purpose of explaining a larger social problem.

Read “A hidden addiction fuels a life of chaos,” by Kate Gurnett

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