“Benches are microcosms of an expansive debate about who belongs in urban public spaces. When they are removed or made uninviting, we lose more than just a place to rest.”
Cheri Lucas Rowlands
Cheri has been an editor at Longreads since 2014.
Posted inEditor's Pick
Creating Baby Geniuses to Thwart the AI Threat? (Yes, Really.)
“The new wave of Silicon Valley–backed gene-editing startups is straight out of ‘Brave New World.'”
Posted inEditor's Pick
The Great Ozempic Experiment
“It’s a new era of D.I.Y. medicine. Now the health establishment needs to catch up.”
Posted inFeature
The Wayfinders
The Marshall Islands’ first national soccer team discovers what “home” can mean—on a field in Arkansas.
Posted inEditor's Pick
Leaving America
“Americans have always moved away. These days, expat Lindsey Tramuta writes, record numbers are leaving or planning to leave in search of health care, civil rights, freedoms, even safety. Does exiting the United States mean you’ve given up? Not necessarily.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
What It’s Like to Go Through Perimenopause and Menopause in Prison
“Limited information and a lack of informed health care providers make this life transition even more difficult for incarcerated people.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
The California Town With Less Than 30 Residents Begging for Young People to Move In
“The gold that once drew opportunists to this slice of California now attracts a new generation.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
Turfin’ Safari
“Growing grass for the 2026 World Cup has been a years-long science project. Here’s how it’s going, from B.C. to Tennessee.”