Eileen Myles: There’s No Escaping History By Sari Botton Commentary The poet and one-time presidential candidate isn’t the least bit surprised by the state of our union.
A Long, Dark Night of the Soul at Donald Trump’s Childhood Home By Aaron Gilbreath Highlight Alexander Nazaryan spends a night at Trump’s first home in Queens to see if it can tell him anything about the president.
180 Overdoses, 18 Deaths, One Week By Catherine Cusick Commentary The Cincinnati Enquirer’s harrowing chronicle of an ordinary week at the height of the heroin epidemic.
Ursula K. Le Guin, Literary Legend and Cat Blogger By Krista Stevens Highlight Ursula K. Le Guin may no longer publish fiction, but that hasn’t stopped her from writing.
Raising Brown Boys in Post-9/11 America By Sorayya Khan Feature Sorayya Khan recalls racist threats to her young sons after the 2001 attacks, and worries about them as young men living in ‘Trumpistan.’
On Why Joni Mitchell Deserves Her Due By Krista Stevens Highlight Carl Wilson argues that her genius has been overlooked for far too long, because of her gender.
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week By Longreads Weekly Top 5 This week, we’re sharing stories from Ta-Nehisi Coates; Nikole Hannah-Jones; Mark Collette, David Hunn, and Mike Hixenbaugh; Natalie Kitroeff and Victoria Kim; and Robert Minto.
‘Twin Peaks: The Return’ Has Made Traditional TV Recaps Obsolete By Ben Huberman Highlight How do you talk about a weekly TV show that defies narrative order?
Weighing Justice With a Jury of Her ‘Peers’ By Susana Morris Feature While serving as foreperson on a grand jury, Susana Morris confronts power and privilege in the criminal justice system.
The High Cost of Cheap Fashion By Sari Botton Highlight An expose on slave-like working conditions for undocumented garment workers, right here in the U.S.
Five Houstonians, Five Days in a Flood Zone By Michelle Weber Highlight A team of journalists from Houston drive home the fear, confusion, and destruction of Harvey.
Plasma For Sale (Used) — $20 a Pop By Krista Stevens Highlight Sarah Smarsh’s brother has sold his plasma for the last decade to make ends meet under mounting credit card debt and student loans.
I Was a 9-Year-Old Playboy Bunny By Shannon Kavanaugh Feature After longing to be a sex-symbol as a child, Shannon Lell grapples with a lifetime of self-objectification.
Kevin Smith’s Second Act By Catherine Cusick Commentary Kevin Smith’s business motto is to give the people more Kevin Smith.
The Elephant in the Flood By Michelle Weber Highlight The troubled world of flood insurance: what happens to coastal communities as climate change leads to more and more catastrophic flooding?
Like Sheep to the Sanitized Slaughter Zone By Michelle Weber Highlight “Turkey, in all of its modernist efforts, is just covering up the smell of its own shit.”
Disguised in Plain Clothes, but No Superman By Chris Wiewiora Feature After a shooting at Iowa State leaves him feeling inept at protecting his students, Chris Wiewiora becomes a campus bus driver instead.
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week By Longreads Weekly Top 5 This week, we’re sharing stories from Rana Dasgupta, Whitney Joiner, Jesse Barron, Kiese Laymon, and David Roth.
On NYC’s Paratransit, Fighting for Safety, Respect, and Human Dignity By muteiny Feature An incident on lawyer Britney Wilson’s ride home from work exposes her vulnerabilities as a Black disabled woman.
A Lie of Creative Rehabilitation in ‘Vacationland’ By Sari Botton Highlight The prison workshop where your adorable Maine souvenirs were made is more like a factory, and the inmates like slaves.
The Subtleties of Electrocution By Michelle Weber Highlight Taser claims its products are safe, and police claim to use them appropriately…but 1000 people are dead.
‘Vanity Fair’ Just Published Their Burn Book for Jared and Ivanka By Danielle Tcholakian Commentary They seem to disappear when bad things are happening. And bad things are always happening.
On Syrian Doctors and Borders: America’s Loss is Canada’s Gain By Krista Stevens Highlight How a Syrian physician got caught in the web of Trump’s travel ban and found a new, welcoming home in Canada.
Hilary Mantel’s Eulogy for the Unfinished Diana By Michelle Legro Highlight “As Diana was a collective creation,” Mantel writes at the Guardian, “she was also a collective possession.”
Can Love Sparked at Burning Man Last in Everyday Life? By Maria Finn Feature Maria Finn tries to make sense of the euphoric love she experienced at the annual festival in Black Rock City, while she was grieving her brother’s suicide.
You Can’t Embarrass a Dog, or a Trump By Michelle Weber Highlight “Does he even know about… Let me stop you there. The answer is no.”
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week By Longreads Weekly Top 5 This week, we’re sharing stories from Rachel Kaadzi Ghansah, Ellen Pao, Henry Wismayer, Taylor Harris, and Jeff Maysh.
Who’s Trying to Monopolize Mary Jane? By Krista Stevens Highlight Amanda Chicago Lewis tries to track down the people behind BioTech Industries, a company trying to get strict, blanket utility patents on pot.
Wrapping the Sunday Paper For the Last Time By Andrew Bockhold Feature Andrew Bockhold finds a new appreciation for the family newspaper route he hated working as a kid, before it was shut down.
Moonshine: The Black Tradition of Distilling ‘White Whiskey’ By Ben Huberman Highlight If craft food culture looks overwhelmingly white, it’s because black influences have been routinely scrubbed from its history.
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