• Select one HONY story that genuinely moves you.

• Read it twice — once emotionally, once analytically.

• Write down:

  • A quote that stayed with you.

  • The emotion it stirred (grief, hope, guilt, love, redemption, etc.).

  • The phenomenon being lived (e.g., forgiveness, loss, resilience, faith, identity).

A. Introduction (Set the scene)

“The story I chose is about a [describe person briefly] from Humans of New York.”
“In their story, I hear a voice that’s…”
(tone, feeling, rhythm, e.g., ‘quiet but determined,’ ‘tired but forgiving’).

B. Descriptive Layer (Phenomenological observation)

“If I step into their experience, I imagine…”
Describe what it might be like — sights, sounds, textures, emotions, physical sensations.
Focus on how life feels for this person, not on why.
Example:
“I imagine the sound of traffic outside the apartment window… the silence after the phone call… the weight of the unsaid between them.”

C. Interpretive Layer (Hermeneutic connection)

“The essence of their experience seems to be…”
Identify a core theme or meaning (e.g., enduring love despite loss, searching for belonging, the tension between freedom and duty).
Explain how the person’s words reveal that meaning.
Example:
“When she says, ‘I just wanted someone to notice me,’ I think the real story is about the human need to be witnessed.”

D. Reflective Layer (Researcher self-awareness)

“Hearing their story made me think about…”
“It connects to my own life or beliefs because…”
“It taught me something about what it means to be human.”
This part shows reflexivity — a hallmark of qualitative research.

If you struggle, consider

• “When I close my eyes and imagine their life…”

• “What stays with me isn’t the fact they said ____, but the feeling behind it.”

• “The essence of this story feels like standing at the edge of…”

• “If I could ask them one question, it would be…”