Photo: Jeffrey Pott, Flickr

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

Dan Barry | New York Times | March 28, 2016 | 32 minutes (8,186 words)

The tragic story of two superflyweight boxers who enter the ring to face each other in their first professional fight.

2. The Woman Who Was Trans Before Her Time

Katie Daubs | Toronto Star | March 27, 2016 | 15 minutes (3,872 words)

Dianna Boileau was one of the first Canadians to have gender-confirming surgery, in 1970. She caused a sensation, then married and retreated from public life.

3. Water’s Edge

Taffy Brodesser-Akner | ESPN | March 30, 2016 | 44 minutes (11,144 words)

The story of Bill May, the most accomplished male synchronized swimmer in the sport’s history. Synchronized swimming has been reluctant to include men until recent years, when it allowed mixed-gender as a world championship event.

4. The Ballad of Fred and Yoko

Will Stephenson | Arkansas Times | March 31, 2016 | 23 minutes (5,917 words)

Last December, a 67-year-old homeless man named Fred Arnold was killed after being struck by a van. Arnold had a complicated and intriguing past, which included a Beatles collection exceeding 1,000 records and a friendship with Yoko Ono.

5. Crowd Source

Davy Rothbart | The California Sunday Magazine | April 1, 2016 | 19 minutes (4,814 words)

Looking to hire fake paparazzi, pretend campaign supporters, or counterfeit protesters? A company called Crowds on Demand can service all those needs.