Newsletters

Next week we’ll be sharing our favorite reads across several categories next week; first, though, we’re publishing a series of essays from your trusty Longreads editors, reflecting on our reading over the past year.

I had no idea that the hot, tingly pain of blood returning to a frozen extremity is called the screaming barfies, until I read “What Is a Body For?” by Diana Saverin.

We may often think of poetry as something formal or grand, or meant for the pages of a book. But these two essays remind us that poetry lives in many places.

As Thanksgiving and gluttony approach, I’ve been thinking about what foods represent America and how eating can shape a sense of identity—a theme past Longreads writers have been drawn to.

“I learned to adore the way he sidled against me and to hate his momentary affection, just as he learned to detach from me in weariness and depend on me in hunger. Days with him were a quick education in a cat’s existence.” I once spent a year shadowing a musician I loved, whose body […]

“I think every eulogy fails. What an impossible burden, to properly summarize a life in less than 2,000 words.” Our 2025 Member Drive is almost over. For me, it’s been such a lift to see readers respond with appreciation for what we do at Longreads, and to correspond with people who have sent notes along. […]

Hi again, First off, thank you for opening this email. I know we’ve been showing up in your inbox a bit more than usual these days. But tomorrow is the last day of our Member Drive, so I wanted to reach out one final time to explain why Longreads is counting on your support. By […]

“It’s becoming rarer to get to work on writing that’s real and true, a story idea conceived by a human brain and reported by a human heart, a piece of writing that helps us understand others, and ourselves, a little better.” While I’ve followed Longreads since it started as a hashtag in 2009, I’m proud […]

“I most love a city I can describe to you by sound or song. Landmarks created via sonic moments, rather than the fleeting nature of architecture.” —Hanif Abdurraqib Welcome to the weekend! I want to thank all the readers who have recently signed up for a Longreads membership. Members will continue to receive this Top […]