For NCEW members living and working in the gulf states, the national big story of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is their story. They see it, smell it, live it every moment of every day. It informs their lives, sparks their creativity and animates their writing. In short, they are energized, not exhausted, by the topic.

NCEW member Jane Nicholes tells what it is like to write editorials and commentary on the biggest story of her career and her community in Mobile, Ala. The commentary, she says, is not about some political philosophical debate in Washington. It is about oil fouling her home. You can read her commentary here.

NCEW Secretary Bob Davis, editor of the Anniston Star in Anniston, Ala., lives a five-hour drive from Alabama's coast.  Most readers, if not all, he says have a strong connection to Alabama's beaches. The paper has encouraged readers to submit commentary and has used crowdsourcing, offering readers with first-hand experience at the gulf, to share their stories with readers.

Here are two commentaries from Anniston:

"The gulf's sad season"

"An open letter to Mr. Hayward"