Do you know this man? Mystery of the silent, talented piano player who lives for his music

Dripping wet and deeply disturbed, the smartly-dressed man was discovered walking along a windswept road beside the sea. Over the next few days he steadfastly refused, or was unable, to answer the most simple questions about who he was or where he had come from.

It was only when someone in hospital had the bright idea of leaving him with a piece of paper and pencils that the first intriguing clue about the stranger’s past emerged. He drew a detailed sketch of a grand piano. Excited, hospital staff showed him into a room with a piano and he began to skilfully perform meandering, melancholy airs. Several weeks later he has still not spoken a word, expressing himself only through his music. —Steven MorrisDo you know this man? Mystery of the silent, talented piano player who lives for his music  (Guardian)

A good example of a well-written news feature, which balances deft storytelling with the journalist’s obligation to convey information without creating suspense by withholding crucial details. The first two paragraphs give the main facts of the entire story, including the conclusion. The rest of the article re-tells the same events in more detail.

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Dennis G. Jerz

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