Editors' Picks: The Best Narratively Stories of 2016
Meet the Donald Trumps of history, a most determined Nepalese milkman, and a teenage Aussie filmmaker who knocks elbows with an Iranian princess, among other colorful characters gathered together on this list of our finest works this year.
1. There's a Mathematical Equation that Proves I'm Ugly - Or So I Learned in My Seventh Grade Art Class By Ariel Henley
Photo courtesy Ariel Henley
It took me years to realize that despite being born with a rare facial disfigurement, beauty is more than a cold calculation.
"In this personal essay, Ariel offers a lyrical, elevated take on the classic theme of learning to be comfortable with one's physical appearance. It's the artistic principle of the golden ratio that makes her believe at first that she is objectively ugly, and then artistic subjectivity that eventually brings her to the realization that there's no such thing as objective ugliness." - Lilly O'Donnell, Deputy Editor & Community Manager
By Amitabh Joshi
Image by Amitabh Joshi
One year after a major earthquake devastated Nepal and destroyed his family’s home, a determined survivor refuses to neglect his delivery route.
"At the center of storytelling, Cinema and Artistic expression, arrives a human story of perseverance in the aftermath of a catastrophic natural disaster. Â Through the simplicity of its narrative, Director Amitabh Joshi manages to imbue 'The Milkman' with a powerful and beautiful artistic statement rooted in a cultural authenticity, while also providing a masterful lesson in visual journalism." - Ifanyi Bell, Director of Video
3. The Donald Trumps of History
A Five-Part Series
Illustration by Jared Boggess Believe it or not, Election 2016 is not the first time the world has encountered such a character.
"From New Amsterdam to Australia, these insightful and painstakingly researched stories demonstrated how 2016’s Person of the Year, distinct as he may seem, isn’t the first of his kind — and how other politicians of a similar ilk have captured the public’s imagination over the centuries." — Brendan Spiegel, Editorial Director
 4. The Camera That's Flipping Stereotypes of Fatherhood Upside Down By Phyllis B. Dooney | Audio Edit by Emily Rhyne
Photo by Phyllis B. Dooney
An inventive photographer invites nine fathers to reflect on the complexities of raising a family in one of Brooklyn’s most disadvantaged neighborhoods.
"In this stunning multimedia story about fathers in the neighborhood of East New York, Phyllis Dooney displays all the hallmarks of good journalism by bringing us into their homes and allowing them to tell their stories with striking intimacy. She simultaneously presents stunning portraits with an added creative element that, rather than creating artistic noise, adds a layer of metaphor and visual intrigue that take this story from good to great." - Sophie Brill, Assistant Photo Editor, and Chelsea Stahl, Photo Editor
5. What It Feels Like to Hold the First 60 Seconds of a New Life in My Hands
By Alexandra Coria
As a pediatric physician working in a hospital, I take over the moment a baby is born, in the terrifying first minute that can mean the difference between life and death.
"Alexandra's story of a few days in the life of a pediatric physician is one of the most intense stories I read this year, on Narratively or any other site. As a new dad, her spare, no-nonsense evocation of the joy and tragedy that can occur in the first minute of a baby's life made me want to cry every time I read it. It's just an incredible read." — W.M. Akers, Features Editor
6. Killer Croutons...And Other Ways My Wheat-Allergic Cousin Has Nearly Died
By Em DeMarco
Illustration by Em DeMarco
Decades before caveman diets were all the rage, little Laura learned her allergy was deadly serious. The worst part was that few understood a crumb could kill her.
"In what may be our most ambitious comic to date, Em sheds light on this serious issue while making it personal, humorous and informative. I’m really proud of how this piece turned out." - Vinnie Neuberg, Illustrations Editor
7. Training the Next Generation of American Oil Workers...For Jobs That Don't Exist
By Nathan C. Martin
Photo by Kim Raff
A new federal program signed up hordes of eager students — just as the industry went bust.
"It's just meaningful reporting. In the struggle to preserve the planet's resources, we tend to forget that our rural workers are usually most affected by shifting attitudes on the environment, far away on Capitol Hill. Politics aside, stories like this remind us to have compassion for people who now find their livelihoods disappearing." - Hannah Sparks, Editorial Intern
8. Flirting with Fame and Dodging a Predator in 1970s Iran
By Ross Duncan
Photo courtesy Ross Duncan
At the age of thirteen, my trip to a film festival in the Middle East turned terrifying when a grown man invited himself to my hotel room. I escaped unscathed, but I’ve been haunted ever since by the gruesome fate he most surely met.
"Exciting and dark; funny and disturbing. I loved working on this piece, and working with the author, Ross, who I've happily become chummy with this past year. He takes us back to a time that was somehow far more innocent, and yet forces us contemplate if that was ever really the case. Those who enjoyed this piece last winter might be happy to know that Ross reconnected with his old teacher because of its publication. How cool is that!?" — Michael Stahl, Features Editor
9. The Last Time New York Was Hard Core
By Michael Stahl
Photo by Carlos Detres
Throughout the ’90s, one high-octane underground music scene desperately held on to its rebellious roots of power chords, slam dancing and stage diving. Whatever happened to hardcore?
"Narratively writer and editor Michael Stahl first approached me at an event I was speaking at four years ago, when he wasn’t yet a writer and an editor. Since then, he’s grown to become perhaps the most prolific contributor in our stable, and this piece is his tour de force. It’s historically sweeping yet intensely personal and, in true Narratively fashion, shines a light on a fading subculture with an outsized impact." - Noah Rosenberg, CEO & Editor-In-Chief
10. Every EMT Has One Day That Changed Their Life. This Was Mine.
By Tab Rodocker
Illustration by Elliot Freeman
The city bus was soaked with blood, the patient was fading fast, and the first cop who showed up turned around and puked.
"With its breathless pacing and suspenseful narrative, this first-person story of that-day-you-will-never-forget is can't-miss reading. Few stories on any medium this year were as heart-pounding as Tab Rodocker's account of a patient he told, 'I will not let you die. Not here, not now.'" - Steven Cooney, Editorial Intern
11. 48 Hours on the Dark Side of Las VegasÂ
By Anthony Taille
GIFs by AJ Ovio and Ifanyi Bell
Penthouse orgies fueled by pill-pushing hotel employees. A drug house stocked with sex slaves. Hidden homeless encampments underneath the casinos. A shockingly personal investigation shows the real Sin City is even seedier than you imagined.
"From penthouse parties to sewer societies, Anthony Taille paints vivid pictures of the decadence and debauchery of Las Vegas. Still, he never gets lost in the swamp, and Taille manages to maintain the reins of the story, using detours and side characters inviting the reader on a helicopter trip, zooming out and showing the greater, darker facts of Sin City. All this served up with a side of the 21st century's most prominent media, gifs, make for truly riveting and educational storytelling... Vegas, baby." - Emil Foget, Editorial Intern