Literary journalist Ted Conover is known for his extended immersion and participant observation in reporting and writing his compelling stories. Successful immersion requires long-term access and trust of sources. Excerpt from his 2000 book, "Newjack," describing his work as a corrections officer at Sing Sing prison in upstate New York:
"But I was also caught between two warring impulses: the incuriosity that made the job easier and an anthropologist or social worker’s fascination with the twists of life that created a criminal and led him to such a place."
"But I was also caught between two warring impulses: the incuriosity that made the job easier and an anthropologist or social worker’s fascination with the twists of life that created a criminal and led him to such a place."