Telling True Stories in Sound
was my narrative, audio long-form class at Columbia Journalism School. I worked on pieces that ranged from seven to ten minutes long. All driven by a character and a central animating question, these pieces challenged me in unique ways.
I confronted my family about my grandmother’s imminent death, questioned an independent artist about his decision to leave a full-time job in tech to pursue his rap career, and interrogated experts on the value of posthumously publishing Joan Didion’s diary without her consent.
Daniel Alarcón and Leena Sanzgiri were my editors for these stories and my professors for the course.
Joan Didion Gets Sold Out: There’s a new narrative imposition facing Joan Didion’s legacy, her diary has just been published as a book and in public archive— without her consent. What are the ethics of posthumous publication? What value does it add? For Telling True Stories in Sound, Vahini Shori talks to some experts to find out.
The Yearlong Goodbye: My Nanima had a year left, according to her doctors. We never told her.
RMS Has No Plan B: In 2023, Rohan Sridharan left his tech job to pursue his dreams of being a rapper. Nearly two years later, RMS reflects on what it took to make that decision: focus, clarity, and vision.