Below, our favorite stories of the week. Kindle users, you can also get them as a Readlist.

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1. A Diagnosis

Jenny Diski | London Review of Books | Sept. 1, 2014 | 16 minutes (4,133 words) words)

“I’m a writer. I’ve got cancer. Am I going to write about it? How am I not?”

2. Children at Risk

David S. Fallis, Amy Brittain | The Washington Post | Aug. 31, 2014 | 25 minutes (9,846 words)

A two-part investigation into unregulated day care in Virginia.

Part II: “After a Child’s Death, Parents Grapple With Second Guesses”

3. The Man Without a Mask

William Finnegan | The New Yorker | Sept. 1, 2014 | 35 minutes (8,948 words)

How the drag queen Cassandro—known as Saúl Armendáriz outside the ring—became a lucha libre star.

4. The Rising

Robert Sanchez | 5280 Magazine | Sept. 1, 2014 | 24 minutes (6,189 words)

Colorado residents recount surviving one of the worst natural disasters in Colorado history.

5. Jerry Football

Don Van Natta Jr. | ESPN | Aug. 29, 2014 | 42 minutes (10,638 words)

He’s one of the most infamous owners in professional sports, in need of one more Super Bowl. The complete story of Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys.

Photo: Suki Dhanda