The Best American Magazine Writing 2017

Withtheworkofjournalistsunderfirearoundtheworld,thisyear'santhologyofNationalMagazineAwardsfinalistsandwinnersisatimelyreminderofthepowerofjournalism.ThesepiecesfromwritersdriventoexploreAmerica'sfaultlinesincludeShaneBauer'sharrowing"MyFourMonthsasaPrivatePrisonGuard"(MotherJones),avisceralportraitoftheabusesofthecarceralsystem,andSarahStillman'saccountofthehavocwreakedonyoungpeople'sliveswhentheyareputonsex-offenderregistries(TheNewYorker).Intwodifferentconsiderationsofparenting,NikoleHannah-Joneslooksforaschoolforherdaughterinarapidlychanging,raciallydividedBrooklyn(NewYorkTimesMagazine)andMichaelChabontakeshisthirteen-year-oldsontoFashionWeekinParis(GQ).PamelaColloffexploreshowthe1966UniversityofTexasTowermassshootingchangedthecourseofonesurvivor'slife(TexasMonthly),andSiddharthaMukherjeedepictstheartandagonyofoncology(NewYorkTimesMagazine).Otherselectionstakeuptheshocksoftheelection,includingMattTaibbi'sirreverentdispatchesfromthecampaigntrail(RollingStone)andGeorgeSaunders'stransfixingaccountofTrump'srallies(TheNewYorker).JeffreyGoldbergtalksthroughObama'sforeign-policylegacywiththepresident(TheAtlantic),AndrewSullivanfearsforthefutureofdemocracy(NewYork),andGabrielShermanrelateshowthewomenofFoxNewsbroughttolightRogerAiles'spredations(NewYork).JoiningthemareRebeccaSolnit'swide-rangingHarper'scommentary,BeccaRothfeld'sponderingwomenwaitingfromTheOdysseytoTinder(HedgehogReview),andboldexpeditionsintonature:DavidQuammenventurestoYellowstonetoconsiderthefutureofwildplaces(NationalGeographic),andMacMcClellandsetsoffforCubainsearchoftheivory-billedwoodpecker(Audubon).