“In summer 2020, the nation’s attention turned to the killing of a 23-year-old Aurora man. His death prompted a flood of more than 8,500 letters from outside the state of Colorado—all begging Governor Jared Polis for justice. We read every one.”
Cheri Lucas Rowlands
Cheri has been an editor at Longreads since 2014.
Posted inEditor's Pick
A Seat at the Table
In this interview, food writer Bettina Makalintal reflects on finding her voice, the trendification of ube, and why she’d rather not refer to Filipino cuisine — or any cuisine — as “the next big thing.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
The Incredible Story of Ray Caldwell, the MLB Pitcher Who Survived a Lightning Strike to Finish a Game
“Caldwell is on his back, arms spread wide, out cold on the mound. The lightning strike had hit him directly.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
How Target Got Cozy With the Cops, Turning Black Neighbors Into Suspects
“For decades, Target fostered partnerships with law enforcement unlike those of any other U.S. corporation.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
Last Resort, Part 1: Let’s Go to Angola
“His father, a broke music promoter, had convinced him they could turn their lives around by arranging a complicated but lucrative hip-hop concert on New Year’s Eve in Angola. It was more complicated than they’d imagined.” The first installment of a three-part story, in partnership with Epic Magazine.
Posted inEditor's Pick
How Trafficked Cheetah Cubs Move From the Wild and Into Your Instagram Feed
Criminal networks in Somaliland smuggle cheetah cubs out of Africa to wealthy buyers in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and other Gulf countries.
Posted inEditor's Pick
Searching for a Lost Odessa — and a Deaf Childhood
“When I turn the hearing aids on in these streets, my parents are dead again. So, I turn them off.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
How Your Cup of Coffee Is Clearing the Jungle
“However it happened, anywhere between 20,000 and 130,000 people — estimates range wildly — are farming illegally within Bukit Barisan Selatan.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
How the Pandemic Ends
“Here, then, is the current pandemic dilemma: Vaccines remain the best way for individuals to protect themselves, but societies cannot treat vaccines as their only defense.”