The Uncanny Valley of Online Dating By Danielle Tcholakian Dating after a Big Love ends never feels quite right. What do big loves leave us with, and what do they take?
Observe the Bumbler’s One Weakness By Michelle Weber Bumbles sink. (Hopefully.) On men, sexual violence, and feigned ignorance.
Harshing the Internet Poet’s Mellow By Aaron Gilbreath Instagram poet Collin Andrew Yost got trounced online, but his experience offers a lesson in how to cultivate empathy.
Bronx Rapper Cardi B Became a Pop Sensation, But Will She Make it Last? By Danielle Jackson Understanding what the rapper means to her audience, beyond the flash of celebrity.
Brit Bennett Reflects on Living the Past Year in “Trump Time” By Danielle Jackson How the whiplash-like event of Trump following the nation’s first black president has “compressed time.”
The Memoirist’s Dilemma By Sari Botton Fourteen years after her memoir about about her father’s death was released, novelist Aminatta Forna still deals with after-effects, both good and bad.
Albania’s Blood Feuds By Aaron Gilbreath In northern Albania, vengeance is justice, but does it get people something besides more pain?
In Service of the Slender Man: When Teen Girls Become Murderous By Krista Stevens Alex Mar on how and why teen-girl duos become murderous.
Your Own Personal Jesus-Lite By Michelle Weber Elizabeth Harper traveled to Bonito, Italy to visit Zio Vincenzo. Long-lost relative? No, miracle-working mummified corpse of a nameless Neapolitan.
The Planet Is Pissed and Wants You Outta Here By Aaron Gilbreath Massive volcanic events are the cause of most global mass extinctions. When will the next one destroy life on earth?
Money For Nothing: It Might Set Your Kids Free By Krista Stevens A new study reveals a basic income keeps kids in school longer and reduces their participation in crime.
Kevin Young Is Ready to Engage the Public with Poetry By Danielle Jackson The new poetry editor of the New Yorker says that to find poetry, “you have to look in your backyard.”
L.A.’s Underground Museum is a Vital Hub of Contemporary Black Culture By Danielle Jackson The space has become a vital convening point for creatives, culture workers, and audiences interested in ideas of black excellence.
Misogyny, Translated By Ben Huberman The first woman translator of Homer’s ‘Odyssey’ subtly unpacks the politics of the poem — and of the male translators that preceded her.
The Town Where Trump Can Do No Wrong By Mike Dang He hasn’t built a wall or repealed Obamacare, but these Trump supporters say they will support him no matter what.
The Big Black Market for Spare Human Body Parts By Krista Stevens Beware, should you donate your body to science in the US. Lightly regulated, the industry is ripe for fraudsters trying to make a buck on your personage.
Feeling the Wind in Their Beards By Aaron Gilbreath For the Sikh Motorcycle Club Of The Northeast, riding is centering, creates brotherhood and reaffirms their commitment to Sikh values.
In the Wake of Weinstein and #MeToo, Why Does R. Kelly Still Have an Audience? By Danielle Jackson Women of color who have been singled out by sexual predators deserve our collective fury too.
Parsing Her Identity With A Long-Lost Folder, Plus the Internet By Sari Botton A.M. Homes wrestles with her ambivalence toward learning more about her birth parents and the circumstances of her adoption.
The Business of Building a Country’s Brand By Aaron Gilbreath A whole sector of the marketing industry shapes stories about nations and cities to shape our opinions about place.
Harvey Weinstein’s Failed Attempt to Hire Private Eyes to Silence His Accusers By Mike Dang Weinstein hired private investigators who used fake names to dig up dirt on his accusers.
Meditations in an Emergency By Michelle Legro In this oral history of the 2016 election, the media loses the narrative thread it had been creating for decades.
Wherever You Go, There You Are. Charles Manson is There, Too. By Michelle Weber Do we carry pieces of our younger selves with us, even as we grow and change?
When Life Imitates Country Music By Michelle Weber “The trills in his notes sputter and lift. He sounds like an animal in trouble. Like a lounge singer who’s lost his mind.”
The Aftermarket for (Human) Spare Parts By Pam Mandel “What they are doing is profiting from the sale of humans.”
Jeff Goldblum Prefers Pouring Orange Juice in His Cereal By Matt Giles The actor is a steadfast convert, but does that mean the actor is right?
Chasing Down a Child Genius in Montana By Michelle Legro Promethea’s education was the most important thing in her mother’s life. Then a mysterious benefactor made it his business as well.
An Oregon Wolf, Profiled By Ben Huberman A fateful encounter between Oregon’s mightiest wolf and the scientist who would track him for the next six years.
Can Portland’s River Cleanup Correct Environmental Injustice? By Aaron Gilbreath The Willamette River, a superfund site, was once Portland’s lifeblood. A massive cleanup project could restore it for the communities of color that had long relied on it for food, work, and leisure.
The Strange Art World of Craigslist By Aaron Gilbreath The artists who use Craigslist to find subjects and ideas have found a willing group of participants unfazed by unusual encounters.