The Epic Return of Lucinda Williams by Bronwen Dickey

Bronwen Dickey’s profile of Lucinda Williams is utterly splendid. It helps, of course, that the musician has lived a colorful life. In the article, Dickey demonstrates a flair for identifying the odd, memorable details without getting overly indulgent about it. At its foundation, this is a story about a dogged survivor, and both the challenge and the dignity of that perseverance come through. This piece is published by Garden & Gun.

Generation Connie by Connie Wang

Writing for The New York Times, Connie Wang recounts her discovery that the motivation behind her chosen American name was hardly unique in the Asian-American community of a certain era. She finds a small army of young women of Asian descent who were named after broadcast journalist Connie Chung. The piece beautifully articulates when the groundbreaker was so inspiring to so many, As a capper, Chung herself came to New York to meet several of her namesakes and take part in a photo shoot with them. In a lovely touch, even the person holds the camera was named Connie.