Recent editors’ picks

Gassed Up

Mitch Hagney | Offrange | July 19, 2026 | 1,902 words

“Tomato ripening rooms reveal the growing costs of the produce industry’s massive consolidation.”

A Dying Art

John Semley | Harper’s Magazine | July 22, 2026 | 6,354 words

“The last of the morticians.”

Beckett the Prophet

Robert Zaretsky | The American Scholar | July 20, 2026 | 1,560 words

“We are all, it seems, still waiting for Godot.”

The Children Who Loved a Killer

Masha Hamilton | The Guardian | July 22, 2026 | 5,757 words

“The Carr family took in Steven Judy, hoping to ‘save’ a troubled teen. They didn’t know he would become one of the most hated men in America.”

Beyond Greece and Rome

Carlos Noreña | Aeon | July 20, 2026 | 4,100 words

“A dramatic shift in perspective is producing a much bigger, broader and more exciting view of ‘the ancient world.’”

The Anti-Sunscreen Movement Is Coming for You

Brian Underwood | Men’s Health | July 15, 2026 | 4,949 words

“Sunscreen—one of the only products scientifically proven to reduce the risk of skin cancer—is in the middle of a PR crisis, with skeptics claiming it’s hazardous to your health. Experts dismiss the claims as misinformation, but has the damage already been done?”

Accidental Historian

Libby Callaway | The Bitter Southerner | May 27, 2026 | 2,592 words

“With little fanfare, Ray Di Pietro has attracted tens of thousands of devotees. His images are artfully composed, spontaneous, honest, and, well, kind.”

The Top 5 Longreads of the Week

Showcasing stories from Sloane Crosley; Zadie Smith; Mark Johnson and Saumya Khandelwal; Todd Kliman; and Sheila Liming.

Recent editors’ picks

A Strange Continent

Ben Markovits | Texas Highways | July 14, 2026 | 2,912 words

“An English expat returns home and unfolds his Brompton bike.”

The Rise of the Corporate Rave

Kiana Mickles | Pitchfork | July 15, 2026 | 2,324 words

“The once underground and countercultural ‘rave’ has fully spread to the mainstream in the form of themed pop-ups and sponsored parties. For newbies, it can be a sanitized gateway into electronic music. For true ravers, it’s more complicated.”

The Bone Rush

Devon Pendleton | Bloomberg Businessweek | July 17, 2026 | 6,825 words

“Dinosaurs have become an asset class for billionaires. And the market is about as orderly and genteel as a starving T. rex.”

A Beastie Boy Returns to the Mic, With Some Help

Ben Sisario | The New York Times | July 14, 2026 | 1,785 words

“Thanks to an assist from his sons, Mike D is set to release “Thank You,” the first new music from a member of the pioneering rap trio in 15 years.”

A Texan Risked Everything to Defend Ukraine. So Did His Father.

Laura Beil | Texas Monthly | July 2026 | 8,509 words

“Erik Giggleman was an elite Army soldier who went in search of a righteous struggle and found it in Ukraine. As his commitment deepened, his father confronted an excruciating truth: Either the conflict would end, or Erik would die fighting.”

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