Prior to his tragic death in Syria in February 2012, Anthony Shadid was one of the most important journalists covering the Middle East region. Known for his war-time coverage of the Iraq war in particular (for which he won two Pulitzer Prizes) Shadid's passion for writing the untold stories comes through in this conversation with political scientist Jillian Schwedler of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Professor Schwedler, who has carried out extensive field work in Yemen and Jordan, researches political culture, protest and policing, identity politics, and state repression. Much of their discussion revolves around the complexity of ethno-sectarian identity in the region, how to follow the politics of protest, and perhaps most appropriately, how to best write stories about ordinary people struggling with daily life in the Arab world.