Below, our favorite stories of the week. Kindle users, you can also get them as a Readlist.
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1. The Secret Lives of Tumblr Teens
Elspeth Reeve | The New Republic | Feb. 17, 2016 | 39 minutes (9,765 words)
A fascinating look at the rise and fall of teen empires on Tumblr, the blogging platform and social network favored by young people who view themselves as outcasts.
2. Is a Surrogate a Mother?
Michelle Goldberg | Slate | Feb. 15, 2016 | 18 minutes (4,669 words)
A battle over triplets raises thorny questions about the ethics of the surrogacy industry. Goldberg provides a narrative account of the California case, contextualized with a history of surrogacy’s legal battles.
3. My Autistic Brother’s Quest for Love
Danielle Bacher | Esquire | Feb. 17, 2016 | 16 minutes (4,197 words)
On the spectrum and in search of a long-term relationship.
4. The UCLA Gymnast Who Became a Viral Sensation
Joy Resmovits | Los Angeles Times | Feb. 11, 2016 | 17 minutes (4,309 words)
Tens of millions of people have seen UCLA senior Sophina DeJesus whip, nae nae and handspring her way to a gymnastics tour de force (yes, that video). Resmovits goes beyond the viral video in this profile—probing into DeJesus’ family history, and looking at what it’s like to be a woman of color in the lily-white world of gymnastics.
5. What Should We Say About David Bowie and Lori Maddox?
Jia Tolentino | Jezebel | Feb. 19, 2016 | 10 minutes (2,630 words)
A superb essay by Jia Tolentino about rape and the story of Lori Maddox, who spoke about losing her virginity to David Bowie when she was just 15 years old.
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