Aaron Gilbreath

Like cowboys in westerns, sheriffs were icons in the 20th century. They were the law. No matter what white residents in Alabaman’s Wilcox County say, so-called good ol’ boy Sherriff Lummie Jenkins used his power to violently suppress black voters and battle the Civil Rights movement. He’s no icon.

State law protects Arizona’s cultural heritage by requiring surveying on public land where Native American materials are found. That’s why the Arizona State Parks Director asked a staff archaeologist to lie about the contents of one proposed park site.

While his father recovers from heart surgery, a son spends time with him at home and tries to make sense of his father’s hallucinations and confusion. This story was named a “Notable Essay” in Best American Essays 2018.

Science is still trying to understand the sheer mass and variety of insects on earth. What’s clear is that both are declining at an alarming rate, and for that, the whole planet will suffer.

After two breakups, a single mother starts building a sense of self that’s true to herself and not beholden to other people.

The second installment in The New Yorker‘s new interactive music series about individual works explores the way Elliott’s 1997 hit album reimagined hip-hop, R&B, videos, fashion, and black female identity, and why its futuristic vision continues to influence listeners.