Editors' Picks: The Best Narratively Stories of 2017
A 15-year-old 'triple-threat' entertainer, the Alabamans who finally punished white supremacists, and many more characters who rocked our world this year.
Photo by Joe Carrotta
Courvosier Cox Knows He's a Superstar
By Kelly Creedon
Image by Kelly Creedon
"Kelly Creedon’s sweet and sad profile of a teenage 'triple threat' growing up in Durham, North Carolina, is such a moving and intimate portrait — a real testament to how film can resonate online, and how every ordinary human has an extraordinary story to share." — Brendan Spiegel, editorial director
Welcome to Moonlight Rollerway, Where Nothing Has Changed Since 1956
By Lisa WhitemanÂ
Photo by Lisa Whiteman
"In this heartwarming story, Lisa Whiteman managed to capture and memorialize the long-standing community at Moonlight Rollerway, collecting archival video footage of skaters from as far back as 1985, which she presents with vibrant contemporary portraits of the same couples who appear in the video and some of their younger peers. Their collective dedication to the tradition of roller skating, and love for one another, has withstood the test of time, and will last long after any of them are forced to forever hang up their skates." — Sophie Brill, photo editor
The Violent, Lonely World of Myanmar's Child Boxers
By Poppy McPherson
Photo by Aung Naing Soe
"Though there were a number of stories that I absolutely loved this year, this piece stood out as one that encapsulates what we try and do with every offering we publish at Narratively. It pulls the curtain back on a world that's been otherwise unexplored. The story is fabulously written, and has an edge to it, while the colorful photos also help generate a high level of intimacy with the subjects that we strive to provide our readers." — Michael Stahl, features editor
How a Trip to Disneyland Changed My Trans Family Forever
By Alithea Howes
Illustration by David Huang
"The all-American backdrop of 'The Happiest Place on Earth' becomes a place of refuge for the author's family, one where they can actually escape society's expectations." — Corinna Cape, editorial intern
40 Years Ago, an Alabama Jury Proved White Supremacists Could Be Brought to Justice
By Julie Buckner Armstrong
Photo by Ted Tucker, courtesy the Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau
"This story made me cry twice." — William Akers, features editor
Can a Black Feminist Be Sexually Submissive to a White Man?
By Tracey Lynn Lloyd
Illustration by Virginia Zamora
"It wasn't easy to pick just one favorite this year because we published so many that I love, but this piece by Tracey Lynn Lloyd handles so many big topics — race, sex, power — so deftly and eloquently that I couldn't pass it over. This is a piece with room for conflict and contradiction, that shows the writer grappling with apparently disparate elements of herself and weaving them together into a celebration." — Lilly Dancyger, deputy editor
By Abbey PerreaultÂ
Photo by Abbey Perreault
"This piece features great reporting about conservation efforts and the relationship between the people of the Kenyan savannah and the lions that live among them. The article balances factual, statistical information with a human interest angle, and it is unequivocally compelling and well-researched." — Claire Selvin, editorial intern
An Aging Mother's Animated Love Letter to Her Autistic Son
By Martha Halliday & Hannah McNallyÂ
Image by Martha Halliday and Hannah McNally
"This simple hand-drawn animation, paired with raw, honest, emotional voiceover, was a new format for Narratively, and it was a beautiful way to tell the story of a mother and son’s unwavering love and commitment to one another." — Noah Rosenberg, CEO and editor-in-chief
Getting Hooked on the Weird and Wonderful World of Body Suspension
By Joe CarrottaÂ
Photo by Joe Carrotta
"Joe Carrotta did a great job immersing himself into this story. It's always great to see a photographers tell stories as they are transformed by the people in front of the camera. The portraits, details and action shots are stunning. Carrotta's photos generate a greater appreciation of the subculture. In today's society it's important to understand and respect other cultures, as radical as they may seem." — Yunuen Bonaparte, photo editor
In 1913, She Walked Down the Aisle Disguised as a Man
By Amy Hughes
Illustration by Ellen Surrey
"It is so cool to hear about someone subverting the toxic cultural norms that still plague us a century later. This story is so well told and the illustrations by Ellen Surrey are definitely some of my favorites from the year." — Vinnie Neuberg, illustrations editor
The Prison Where Inmates Help Each Other Die With Dignity
By Maura Ewing
Illustration by Jeremy Leung
"Conversations about death in our criminal justice system tend to revolve around the death penalty, but this story focuses on the thousands of prisoners who die each year while serving time. Maura Ewing wastes no time with platitudes, bringing us inside the world of the men living and dying together in the Osborn Correctional Institution. By examining end of life care provided for and by inmates, Ewing finds tenderness and fragility in an institution we associate with neither. But more than anything, this piece is a stunning account of how our identities can be transformed by the roles we're allowed to fill — from prisoner to caretaker." — Abbey Perreault, editorial assistant