“Amy Wallace has spent two decades guarding the human her brother was—against a world that prefers David Foster Wallace as a puzzle.”
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The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
Featuring stories about celebrity look-alikes, siblings, desert living, philanthrocapitalism, and life inside a legal brothel.
Crying Myself to Sleep on the Biggest Cruise Ship Ever
“Seven agonizing nights aboard the Icon of the Seas.”
Catch and Release
“Not everyone gets to publish their first book alongside their mentor.”
Life and Death at the County Fair
“During annual pilgrimages to my hometown carnival, I never fail to find meaning among the doughnut burgers, feather boas, and iridescent dragons.”
Turf War
Seeing alternatives makes you realize how ubiquitous turfgrass is—though anyone who’s ever wrestled with their own Kentucky bluegrass doesn’t need to be reminded.
Award Tour (and the Week’s Top 5)
Featuring stories about celebrity look-alikes, siblings, desert living, philanthrocapitalism, and life inside a legal brothel.
Architecture and Blackberries: The Art of Longform Narratives
As host of The Creative Nonfiction Podcast, Brendan O’Meara is no stranger to talking about the art and craft of storytelling. In this craft-focused excerpt, we’re digging into Episode 340, in which he interviewed Atavist editor Jonah Ogles and freelance writer J.B. MacKinnon about his work on the latest issue of The Atavist. The seduction […]
Balancing Story and Sentiment: A Chat With the Writer and Editor Behind The Atavist’s New Issue
In this excerpt from The Creative Nonfiction Podcast, host Brendan O’Meara talks to Kelly Loudenberg and Atavist editor-in-chief Seyward Darby about their work on “The Caregivers.”
The Fact-Check and the Fury: A Chat With the Writers and Editor Behind The Atavist’s New Issue
In this excerpt from The Creative Nonfiction Podcast, host Brendan O’Meara talks to Leigh Baldwin and Sean Williams about co-writing “Follow the Leader.”


