Writing about abortion

I call to your attention this piece by Stephanie Simon of the Los Angeles Times, which gives a detailed look at the issue of abortion through a doctor who has performed 20,000 abortions and the women who visit his clinic. Told with a powerful blend of detail and detachment and placed in the context of the Alito nomination, it's a powerful story:

This piece by Simon tells how she wrote it and describes the flak she received from both sides: