Salmon Trees

“Following the biorhythm of the bears, he began staying up all night and sleeping by day. He determined that under cover of darkness, six bears were working the stream for the biblical 40 days and 40 nights of the salmon run. As he watched them methodically hauling fish after fish into the deep bush, he conceived a whole new understanding of the flow of life between the land and the sea.”

Source: Hakai Magazine
Published: Apr 22, 2015
Length: 15 minutes (3,889 words)

The Original Cowboys

“In those days, a day in the life of a vaquero began early and often ended in pain. In this part of South Texas the Spanish once called El Desierto de los Muertos, or The Desert of the Dead, the summer heat is like a blowtorch, and the land, thick with mesquite and cactus, can rip a rider’s legs apart without the right protection.”

Source: Texas Highways
Published: Aug 26, 2021
Length: 11 minutes (2,834 words)

My Grandmother’s Home Survived Last Year’s Blast. Beirut May Never Recover

“Though the war continued to rage, she felt safe enough where she was. After all, her apartment had made it through more than a decade of fighting with barely a mark to show for it. Just before the end of the war, though, her luck would turn.”

Source: The Economist
Published: Jul 30, 2021
Length: 10 minutes (2,500 words)

The Bizarre and Tragic Ride of J Sw!ft

“What follows is the far more complicated story of how our country’s complex, disturbingly callous, and ever-shifting yet forever intractable immigration policies created years of hell and potentially permanent exile for one of hip-hop’s greatest producers.”

Author: Max Bell
Published: Aug 26, 2021
Length: 23 minutes (5,938 words)

How the State of California Failed Noah Cuatro

“Before a 4-year-old boy’s killing, authorities wavered on rescuing him.”

Published: Aug 19, 2021
Length: 20 minutes (5,000 words)

The Epic Family Feud Behind an Iconic American Weight-Loss Camp for Kids

“Each time I lose a pound
My fat heart goes round and round
All I want is to be thin
See my bones instead of skin
Each night I ask the stars up in vain
Why must I be a fat kid at Camp Shane?”

Published: Aug 26, 2021
Length: 36 minutes (9,045 words)

How Scotland Forged a Rare Alliance Between Amateur Treasure Hunters and Archaeologists

“Within a matter of hours, Hunter and Freeman realized they had a hoard on their hands— something intentionally hidden, either in the hopes of returning for it later or as part of a ritual or ceremony. The last time anything like it had been found in the area was in 1864. To Hunter, the real treasure wasn’t the metal; it was the traces of organic material he could make out among the artifacts, including a tangle of leather straps and a wood-and-leather scabbard concealing the blade of the sword.”

Source: Popular Science
Published: Aug 24, 2021
Length: 14 minutes (3,706 words)

Her Name Is Not Honey Boo Boo

She grew up on reality TV. Now she’d like you to call her Alana.

Source: Teen Vogue
Published: Aug 25, 2021
Length: 9 minutes (2,300 words)

What Slime Knows

“There is no hierarchy in the web of life.”

Source: Orion Magazine
Published: Aug 24, 2021
Length: 13 minutes (3,411 words)

How Target Got Cozy With the Cops, Turning Black Neighbors Into Suspects

“For decades, Target fostered partnerships with law enforcement unlike those of any other U.S. corporation.”

Published: Aug 25, 2021
Length: 20 minutes (5,015 words)