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New Longreads Essays and Features

The Endless Self

Exploring animal life beyond the limits of human understanding.

When Hannibal Lecter Took Over

With “The Silence of the Lambs” hitting theaters, Orion wanted a hit. They didn’t anticipate an antihero.

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Recent Editors’ Picks

Compost Modernity!

Yogi Hale Hendlin | Aeon | February 10, 2026 | 3,208 words

“The vision of solarpunk: joining nature with technology in vibrantly inclusive ways to create a world that truly blooms.”

Soapbox

Dan Kois | Slate | February 17, 2026 | 7,868 words

“The humble bar of soap used to define the American way. Now it’s dying. I will not let it go down without a fight.”

Don’t Close Your Teeth

Cynthia Zarin | Los Angeles Review of Books | November 17, 2025 | 3,349 words

“Cynthia Zarin traces the rise of fascism through the diary entries of Virginia Woolf.”

How Lena Dunham’s Cats Gave Her a Reality Check

Lena Dunham | Vanity Fair | February 11, 2026 | 1,732 words

“After moving to London, the writer’s growing posse of British felines took a walk on the wild side—and taught her a lesson in independence.”

What Is Claude? Anthropic Doesn’t Know, Either

Gideon Lewis-Kraus | The New Yorker | February 9, 2026 | 10,268 words

“Researchers at the company are trying to understand their A.I. system’s mind—examining its neurons, running it through psychology experiments, and putting it on the therapy couch.”

Good Medicine

Sheila Heti | Granta | February 12, 2026 | 16,321 words

“I was simply tired of being me.”

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Weekly Top 5

The Top 5 Longreads of the Week

Showcasing stories from Eve Fairbanks, Gideon Lewis-Kraus, Rochelle L. Johnson, Joseph Winters and Tik Root, and Miles Ellingham.

The Top 5 Longreads of the Week

Showcasing stories from Andy Greenberg, Darshana Narayanan, Lauren Lee White, Sarah Stillman, and Gabriel Furshong.

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More Longreads Essays and Features

By All Measures

Our problems are too vast, our distance from them too great. How do we navigate our derangement of scale?
by B. R. Cohen

Anatomy of Absolute Power

The people of Wilcox County, Alabama, remember a longtime sheriff as a god or a monster—it just depends on who you ask.
by Longreads

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Longreads Reading Lists

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The best nonfiction on the web, all in one place.

Each year since 2011, we’ve collected our favorite longform stories. Dive in and enjoy.

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