Behind the scenes of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and the debate over what policies and programs are effective when it comes to preventing suicide and saving lives in the U.S.: “Studies done by Columbia University’s Dr. Madelyn Gould have found that about 12 percent of suicidal callers reported in a follow-up interview that talking […]
September 2013
Posted inEditor's Pick
How Chris McCandless Died
Jon Krakauer updates the story that became Into the Wild—and the question of how Chris McCandless died in the Alaskan wilderness: “The debate over why McCandless perished, and the related question of whether he is worthy of admiration, has been smoldering, and occasionally flaring, for more than two decades now. But last December, a writer […]
Posted inEditor's Pick
The Spy Who Loved Frogs
A young scientist retraces the work of Edward Taylor, a prolific herpetologist (a zoologist who studies reptiles and amphibians) who also led a double life as a spy: “Taylor was called to duty again in 1944, when he was 54 and war raged in the Pacific. According to records in the US National Archives, he […]
Posted inBooks, Member Pick, Nonfiction, Story
What Life Was Like for an Executioner’s Family in the 16th Century
Joel F. Harrington | The Faithful Executioner, Farrar, Straus and Giroux | March 2013 | 15 minutes (3,723 words) Below is an excerpt from the book The Faithful Executioners, by Joel F. Harrington, which was recently featured as a Longreads Member Pick. Thanks to our Longreads Members for making these stories possible—sign up to join Longreads […]
Posted inEditor's Pick
What Life Is Like for an Executioner’s Family in the 16th Century
An excerpt from the book The Faithful Executioners, by Joel F. Harrington, which was recently featured as a Longreads Member Pick. Thanks to our Longreads Members for making these stories possible—sign up to join Longreads to receive more great stories like this. Read more from Harrington on how the book came together.
Posted inEditor's Pick
Off the Line
A profile of Chris Bolyard, chef de cuisine at Sidney Street Cafe in St. Louis, who works under celebrity chef Kevin Nashan: “Living outside the spotlight is nothing new for Bolyard. As the chef de cuisine of St. Louis’ Sidney Street Cafe in Benton Park, he has long worked alongside its celebrated owner and executive […]
Posted inUncategorized
College Longreads Pick: 'The Red & Black Comes Back to Life' by David Schick, University of Georgia
Every week, Syracuse University professor Aileen Gallagher helps Longreads highlight the best of college journalism. Here’s this week’s pick: Student publications have always served as simulators for journalists in training. Your college paper is where you learn to write, to edit, and to challenge authority. You fall in love there, both with journalism and at […]
Posted inEditor's Pick
College Longreads Pick: ‘The Red & Black Comes Back to Life’ by David Schick, University of Georgia
Every week, Syracuse University professor Aileen Gallagher helps Longreads highlight the best of college journalism. Here’s this week’s pick.
Posted inEditor's Pick
The Geeks on the Front Lines
The U.S. government is increasingly facing cyber threats that could affect our national security and economy. As a result, the government is courting hackers for cyber security jobs, but needs to overhaul its image to lure young talent, who can easily find well paid jobs in Silicon Valley and private security firms: “To get a […]
Posted inEditor's Pick
The Child Exchange
An investigation into America’s underground market for adopted children. Using online forums like Yahoo and Facebook groups, parents often advertise their unwanted children—who have a tendency to have been adopted abroad and have special needs—and give custody rights to strangers in a practice called “private re-homing,” which has little or no government regulation: “As the […]