When a Missing Nickel Makes All the Difference By Krista Stevens Highlight “Yet money was a lie—pieces of paper and metal suggesting prices for goods, services, labor, and human beings themselves in a way that often had more to do with profit than with true value.”
“This Halloween is Something to Be Sure”: An Examination of Lou Reed’s New York By Matt Giles Commentary New York might be Lou Reed’s most politically active album, especially on tracks like “Halloween Parade,” which functions both as a dirge and call-to-action confronting societal torpidity.
Help Us Fund More Original Essays (and Great Art to Go with Them) By Sari Botton Highlight Member contributions help us to amplify diverse voices and give chances to new writers.
How to Burn a Book By Longreads Feature In an excerpt from ‘The Library Book’ — inspired by a historic California library fire — Susan Orlean challenges her respect for the printed word with a match and a copy of ‘Fahrenheit 451.’
The Prank that Killed Andrew Finch By Krista Stevens Highlight How a malevolent, remorseless online troll and the shoot-first, ask questions later mode of policing added up to a real-life tragedy in Wichita Kansas.
The Strongest Woman in the Room By Kitty Sheehan Feature A daughter recounts her family’s worst day, through her mother’s eyes.
Shackled to Twitter By Aaron Gilbreath Highlight The pros and cons of building one’s brand on Twitter.
I Remember When Rock was Young: Elton John at 71 By Krista Stevens Highlight “He’s sold 150 million albums and been famous for five decades. But do we really know Elton John?”
Lacy M. Johnson on Rejecting the Need to Be Liked By Krista Stevens Highlight “As a woman, I have been raised to be nurturing, to care for others feelings’ and wellbeing often at the expense of my own.”
Dawn of Dianetics: L. Ron Hubbard, John W. Campbell, and the Origins of Scientology By nevalalee Feature Read an excerpt adapted from Alec Nevala-Lee’s book, Astounding.
Marriage Proposal Follies By Amy Deneson Feature After she proposes to her girlfriend, Amy Deneson rethinks what it means to wed.
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week By Longreads Weekly Top 5 This week, we’re sharing stories from Ethan Watters, Rachel Monroe, Barry Yeoman, Tom Scocca, and Sarah Gailey.
West Across the Sea By Sam Riches Feature Tryggvi Hlinason is a sheep farmer at the center of a new generation of Icelandic basketball talent. He’s trying to do something that only one other Icelander has done before — play in the NBA.
Raised by Hip-Hop By Juan Vidal Feature In hip-hop and skateboarding, one young man finds an outlet for his aggression.
A Woman Becomes a Nightingale By Carolita Johnson Feature Carolita Johnson reviews the ugly history of rape being weaponized — and politicized — as a means of silencing women.
If the Rich Really Want To ‘Do Good,’ They Should Become Class Traitors Like FDR By Will Meyer Feature “Winners Take All” is an indictment of the insular, Disneyfied world of Ted Talks, “thought leaders” and philanthropy as self-help for rich people. But does it go far enough?
It was Mr. Henthorn on the Cliff with a Swift Shove By Krista Stevens Highlight Oh, your first wife died in a freak accident too?
I’ll Have an Open-Face Nacho Sandwich With Extra Pork Fat and a Side of Mop Water, Please By Aaron Gilbreath Highlight Investigating the benefits of menu hacking and customer re-personalization.
Because Chernobyl is Safer Than a War Zone By Krista Stevens Highlight Kovalenko’s choice? Facing mortars on a daily basis or exposing your children to the after-effects of Chernobyl.
The Women Who Help Immigrant Women Escape Domestic Abuse By Aaron Gilbreath Highlight A network of women like Mily Treviño-Sauceda and Valentina are helping Latina farm-worker women escape domestic violence and abuses at work, learn their rights, and connect with social services.
Science Has Yet to Prove Mold Makes us Sick By Krista Stevens Highlight Is it the black mold causing your headaches, or is it all in your head? Don’t turn to science. It has no answers.
Living with Dolly Parton By Jessica Wilkerson Feature Asking difficult questions often comes at a cost.
Querida Angelita By Longreads Feature The Mexican teenager who became one Mexican-American family’s maid taught a young woman that el oltro lado, the other side, is as much about class and good fortune as it is an international border.
A Place to Stay, Untouched by Death By Jane Ratcliffe Feature After her mother’s passing, Jane Ratcliffe considers the role everyday objects play in a good death.
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week By Longreads Weekly Top 5 This week, we’re sharing stories from Finlay Young, Katie Prout, Molly Crabapple, Sean Flynn, and Harley Rustad.
The Power of Shutting Up and Sitting in Silence By Kathryn Smith Feature Kathryn Smith went to an Ashram, and it made her feel better about everything.
‘As a Grown Woman, I Still Have To Continuously Learn To Say No’ By Wei Tchou Feature Memoirist Tanya Marquardt talks about consent, trauma, and investigating our memories in the age of #MeToo.
Queens of Infamy: The Reign of Catherine de’ Medici By Anne Thériault Feature When your husband and male heirs are too useless or too dead to rule, you have to take matters into your own poison-gloved hands.
A Woman, Tree or Not By Terese Marie Mailhot Feature Terese Marie Mailhot questions the value of Native coming of age ceremonies she missed out on.
Tennessee Williams’ Paintings Explored Being Gay in America By Krista Stevens Highlight Williams’ paintings explored love, desire, and loss, too.
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