Below, our favorite stories of the week. Kindle users, you can also get them as a Readlist.
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1. The Tragedy of the American Military
James Fallows | The Atlantic | Dec. 31, 2014 | 41 minutes (10,355 words)
The story of “a country willing to do anything for its military except take it seriously.” How the public and politicians became disconnected from those who serve.
2. The Virologist
Andrew Marantz | The New Yorker | Dec. 29, 2014 | 22 minutes (5,574 words)
A profile of a 27-year-old entrepreneur whose speciality is creating clickbait websites.
3. Becoming Zoey Tur
Ed Leibowitz | Los Angeles Magazine | Dec. 22, 2014 | 33 minutes (8,374 words)
How Bob Tur, a storied helicopter news pilot, dealt with gender dysphoria and became Zoey.
4. The Promise in Elena Ferrante
Jia Tolentino | Jezebel | Dec. 29, 2014 | 13 minutes (3,259 words)
An essay about women’s writing on the internet, Italian novelist Elena Ferrante, and the potential of fiction writing to expose certain truths.
5. The Plath Resolution
Carrie Frye | The Awl | Dec. 26, 2014 | 12 minutes (2,328 words)
Thoughts about Sylvia Plath and her resolutions during yoga.
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