By protecting ourselves and no one else, we destroy ourselves along with everyone else.
Nonfiction
Searching Sephora for an Antidote to Aging — and Grief
Five years after her mother’s death, while still grieving and suddenly middle-aged, Abby Mims turns to beauty products to cure what ails her.
The God Phone
What happens when ordinary people play God to strangers? Leora Smith explores the history of one of the oldest art installations at Burning Man and the conversations that unfold there.
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
This week, we’re sharing stories from Elizabeth Wurtzel, Nick Martin, Nafissa Thompson-Spires, David Wolman, and Jason Turbow.
The Price of Dominionist Theology
After leaving fundamentalism, Eve Ettinger grapples with the loaded theological heritage of evangelical personal finance teachings.
Violence Girl
How a young bilingual Latina became one of punk’s enduring icons and helped create a new musical universe.
Elizabeth Wurtzel Made it Okay to Write ‘Ouch’
Today’s memoirists and personal essay writers owe a debt of gratitude to the Prozac Nation author for rewriting an inhibiting rule.
What I Did for (Strange) Love
As a teen, Laura Bond went all out to meet Depeche Mode — and to hang onto her best friend.
Addiction’s Seismic Effects on a Family
A mother confronts the painful truths of trying to save a son who’s a danger not only to himself, but to the rest of the family as well.
When Media Miscalculations Pivot Talented People Out of a Job
Pivoting to video is only one of many ways media workers lose their jobs, but it’s still a horrible way.
