Below, our favorite stories of the week.
Sign up to receive this list free every Friday in your inbox.
* * *
1. A Family Matter
Jessica Weisberg | The Atavist | Aug. 18, 2016 | 40 minutes (10,110 words)
The story of a Californian family torn apart by a child protective services agency, and the law firm helping them fight back.
2. This Is Meant to Hurt You
Leah Sottile | Moss | Aug. 5, 2016 | 15 minutes (3,774 words)
A beautiful essay by Leah Sottile on love and illness.
3. Gender Studies
Curtis Sittenfeld | The New Yorker | August 22, 2016 | 18 minutes (4,705 words)
[Fiction] While traveling to a conference, a recently dumped gender studies professor views herself in the reflection of her airport shuttle driver.
4. An MIT Scientist Claims That This Pill Is the Fountain of Youth
Benjamin Wallace | New York Magazine | August 23, 2016 | 21 minutes (5,458 words)
Seemingly everyone wants to extend their lifespan, but it takes a bold, entrepreneurial scientist to sell you a pill that supposedly can do that for you. He’s staked his career on it.
5. Best Sisters
Lauren McKeon | Hazlitt | August 23, 2016 | 14 minutes (3,592 words)
“The way we describe ability and care has changed over the centuries, but my relationship with Kiddo doesn’t need to be defined.”
Get the Longreads Weekly Email