Me Llamo Theresa

“Mrs. Wilson would have cocked her head to the side, furrowed her brow a bit as she pursed her lips like she had tasted something sour. She removed her eyes from my proud gaze to look instead at my mother. Is there anything else we can call her? Mrs. Wilson asked. Does she have a real name? An American name we can call her?

Published: Jul 7, 2020
Length: 9 minutes (2,403 words)

Slate Star Codex and Silicon Valley’s War Against the Media

The story of a controversial blogger, the weaponization of online engagement, and the growing fault lines between tech and traditional journalism.

Source: The New Yorker
Published: Jul 9, 2020
Length: 24 minutes (6,000 words)

Baiae: A Roman Settlement at The Bottom of The Sea

“If Campi Flegrei were to blow at maximum capacity today, it would make the 79AD eruption of Mt Vesuvius that destroyed Pompeii look like a puppy’s sneeze.”

Source: BBC
Published: Jul 13, 2020
Length: 16 minutes (4,068 words)

‘I Couldn’t Do Anything’: The Virus and an E.R. Doctor’s Suicide

I couldn’t help anyone. I couldn’t do anything. I just wanted to help people, and I couldn’t do anything.” Dr. Lorna Breen was “a consummate overachiever, one who directed her life with assurance.” Then the pandemic hit.

Published: Jul 11, 2020
Length: 12 minutes (3,226 words)

‘Mama Boko Haram’: One Woman’s Extraordinary Mission To Rescue ‘Her Boys’ From Terrorism

“Aisha Wakil knew many of Boko Haram’s fighters as children. Now she uses those ties to broker peace deals, mediate hostage negotiations and convince militants to put down their weapons — but as the violence escalates, her task is becoming impossible.”

Source: The Guardian
Published: Jul 9, 2020
Length: 20 minutes (5,184 words)

Ask a Sane Person: Jia Tolentino on Practicing the Discipline of Hope

“The people setting the best example right now are long-term movement workers, who know how to integrate righteous rage into a life that includes joy and pleasure and lightness—organizers know how to rest when they need to without ever leaving the fight.”

Source: Interview
Published: Jul 8, 2020
Length: 12 minutes (3,026 words)

Insane after Coronavirus?

Patricia Lockwood recounts her maddening experiences with COVID-19: “I had developed a low-grade fever. My head ached, my neck, my back. My eyes ached in their orbits and streamed tears whenever I tried to read or watch television. My mouth tasted like a foreign penny.”

Published: Jul 8, 2020
Length: 14 minutes (3,546 words)

Honky-Tonk Tokyo

Country music became popular in Japan after World War II. Today, Tokyo has a vibrant underground country music scene.

Source: AFAR
Published: Jul 7, 2020
Length: 11 minutes (2,902 words)

The Political Education of Killer Mike

“Mike is for Black banks, Black businesses, Black guns, Black colleges, Black homeownership—all things Black Americans can do here and now without passing a law or asking for permission. He’s also for using Black voting power to wrest everything we’re owed from the government. It’s Black nationalism with a hint of socialism and armed to the teeth.”

Source: GQ
Published: Jul 8, 2020
Length: 22 minutes (5,644 words)

On Knowing the Winged Whale

Are humpback whales the Justice League of the oceans?

Source: Hakai Magazine
Published: Jul 7, 2020
Length: 25 minutes (6,300 words)