Praise for Tom Hallman Jr.

“Tom Hallman, Jr.'s narratives give a graceful voice to the universal struggles everyday people face. He isn't one of those celebrity journalists, looking at the world from afar. He writes from the news trenches and touches readers with beautifully written pieces daily. Tom Hallman, Jr. is required reading in the narrative writing courses here at Stonehill College—along with Truman Capote, Tom Wolfe, and Gay Talese. He is one of the best in the business.”

Tom Hallman Jr.’s narrative writing seminar was the most useful I’ve attended in my 40 years working in radio and newspapers. When a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter is willing to spend four hours giving you the nuts and bolts of his technique with concrete examples, it’s well worth it. But the payoff came in using it. The first time I wrote a story using his technique, I got the biggest response of any story I’d ever written, including compliments from total strangers; my editor and publisher; and even reporters on other papers. It’s a sweet feeling.”

“Tom Hallman, Jr. is that rare and wonderful combination: a master storyteller and an elegant writer with a deeply perceptive heart. He has an uncanny ability to see the profound in the everyday and make you see it, too—in ways that will remind you of what’s really important in life. I defy you to read his work and not be moved, enlightened, and inspired.”

“I swear to God, I think you are about the finest writer to ever stroke a keyboard. I’m frustrated that I haven’t cultivated a keen eye, ear and heart for stories the way you have. I heard Chief Burke of the Umatilla Tribe say once: “We are not human beings here having spiritual experiences, but rather spiritual beings here having human experiences.” Thanks for sharing your human experiences with me. -- ”

“We don’t usually allow reporters around us but we made an exception for Tom Hallman Jr. and I’m glad we did. In our life everyone has an opinion about the club without ever meeting one of us, so they parrot another man’s words to base their opinion about us. Not Tom! He wrote what he saw!! He has the ability to go to new and uncomfortable environment and not only fit in but put onto paper an unbiased account of what he witnessed. Thank you again Tom for your pride and integrity as a man. Because of those traits you helped us honor our brother ”

“Reading Tom Hallman is a full contact sport emotionally. There’s something about his writing that seems brisk and to the point technically, but as he draws you intimately into the living rooms, city streets, court houses and phone calls in his stories, Hallman adds layers of emotion and complexity to his narratives about people that make you feel what he felt. In the end, you’re left with a raw glimpse into human nature and you’re all the more better for it. His work is pure artisanship.”

“Tom is, above all, a storyteller. He mines the extraordinary from the lives of seemingly ordinary. Ferreting out the indelible details of his subjects, Tom writes in a way that enables readers to recall the nuances of his stories years later. ”

“My 16-year subscription to The Oregonian is partially influenced to the frequent writings of my favorite journalist Tom Hallman. In morning ritual, I eagerly scan the newspaper knowing that his stories are inspiring, soul stirring and sincere. His writings never disappoint. Many times after reading I set the book or newspaper aside and just quietly reflect on the story -- just allowing the words to fully sink in. ”