The stories that sparked awe and made me think differently in 2024.
Krista Stevens
Posted inEditor's Pick
Friend or Faux?
“Millions of people are turning to AI for companionship. They are finding the experience surprisingly meaningful, unexpectedly heartbreaking, and profoundly confusing, leaving them to wonder, ‘Is this real? And does that matter?’”
Posted inEditor's Pick
Black Earth
“In North Carolina, a Black farmer purchased the plantation where his ancestors were enslaved— and is reclaiming his family’s story, his community’s health, and the soil beneath his feet.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
On Slowing Down to Cook
“Life is hectic. But to eat meals quickly and not cook is to miss out on an enjoyable sensory experience that connects us to the natural world, different cultures, and to each other.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
Murderbot, She Wrote
“Martha Wells created one of the most iconic characters in 21st-century science fiction: Murderbot, reluctant savior of humanity. Then she faced an existential threat of her own.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
Tangled Justice
“A new book examines the complex relationship between forgiveness and justice through the story of Paula Cooper, who was sentenced to death at the age of sixteen.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
The Once and Future Woods
“Cathedrals, seed banks, and oaks: How to live in times of change.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
He Thought He Knew Horses. Then He Learned to Really Listen.
“Warwick Schiller made his name as an expert trainer. An enigmatic little horse completely changed his outlook.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
Schools vs. Screens
“This fall, provinces from coast to coast confidently announced that they were banning phones in the classroom. It’s not going well.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
The Painful Pleasures of a Tattoo Convention
“The art endures partly because it’s rooted in the moment—the surrender of one person to another.”