As traffic pointed the way out of Houston before Hurricane Harvey, a line of trucks towing small, flat-bottomed boats made their way into the city. The Cajun Navy would save hundreds of lives from flooded out neighborhoods, and instead of rejecting their help, the government embraced it, entrusting much of the evacuation to this rag-tag band […]
2017
Neon City
Stephie Grob Plante profiles the artists of Austin, Texas who create new neon signs and restore old signs to their former, glowing glory.
In Praise of Refugee Chefs: They Came from Syria, But They Represent an American Ideal
They crept across mountains at night to escape bombings in Damascus. Coyotes smuggled them across the Mekong River. Now they cook for you and me at other peoples’ restaurants and dream of opening their own one day. Refugee chefs receive unique culinary educations, and they offer food as a cultural exchange between people, if we […]
The Human Cost of the Ghost Economy
Melissa Chadburn goes undercover as a temp worker.
The Human Cost of the Ghost Economy
Melissa Chadburn goes undercover as a temp worker.
Things People Don’t Want Their Kids to Do
Some parents don’t want their kids to know how much money they have. They also don’t want their kids to become opera singers.
The Golden Globes’ Untimely Snubs
From Patty Jenkins to Jordan Peele, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s omissions are telling.
Finding My Identity By the Light of My Mother’s Menorah
A personal essay in which Santi Elijah Holley, the African American son of a white mother, revisits Hannukahs past with his Jewish forebears.
Longreads Best of 2017: Sports Writing
We asked writers and editors to choose some of their favorite stories of the year. Here is the best in sports writing.
The Fabric of History
Kirsten Tranter is cleaning out her closet. But how does the Marie Kondo method work for a “depressive personality…for whom joy is often an elusive feeling”?
