Robert Kiener: Human Interest

After a devastating fire ripped through Stowe, Vermont’s iconic Percy farm dairy barn,

friends, family, and strangers reach out to help. Click here for full story

Award: In May 2023, this article won a First Place Award in the New England Newspaper and Press Association's (NENPA) Human Interest Feature Story category. The judges said, "This is a beautifully told story that brings the reader headlong into the drama." Click here for info.

New England Newspaper and Press Association (NENPA) Awards

I won two first place awards in the "Human Interest Feature Story" and "Local Personality Profile" categories in the April, 2021 NENPA competition. Regarding the first award, the judges said: "Robert Kiener’s take on Vermont sheep farmer Bambi Freeman showcases the best writing in the human interest feature category, head and shoulders above other entries. Young reporters could learn much here. It’s clear that Kiener is not only a superb writer, but a keen observer as well – with details that jump off the page and bring this feisty octogenarian to life. He is particularly skilled in employing quotes – with restraint, yet always positioned for maximum effect..."

My profile of Olympic champion skier Billy Kidd won a first place award in the 2020 New England Newspaper and Press Association's (NENPA) annual contest. The judges said, “Bright writing and skillful juxtaposition of Billy Kidd in his heyday and today make this a can’t-put-down profile — even if you’ve never strapped on skis.”

Congressional Quarterly Press Contributing Writer

As a Contributing Writer for Washington DC-based Congressional Quarterly Press, I have written more than a dozen 10,000-word reports on a variety of international issues. Subjects I have covered include: North Korea, Pakistan, Honor Killings, Children at Risk, Wildlife Smuggling, Gendercide and more. Some of these reports have been reprinted as chapters in the Sage Publications book series, “Selections From CQ Researcher.” (Click on the above book for an example of one of my CQ reports.)

What My Clients Are Saying

"Like the best of writers, Robert Kiener is a skilled storyteller. We love the way he uses the power of narrative to tell our company's story to a busy, demanding audience. He's a pro."

--W.C., Marketing VP

"We wanted the best and that's what we got with Robert Kiener. His unique combination of investigative journalistic expertise and marketing savvy resulted in a perfectly targeted series of case studies."

--P.M., Marketing Director

"It was intriguing watching Robert Kiener as he discovered the essence of what we are about as a company and showed us how to express it in concise, effective, and elegant prose. "

--S.D., Corporate CEO