Recent editors’ picks

Diabolical Motherhood

Emily C. Hughes | Defector | June 25, 2026 | 3,740 words

“How do you explain to someone who can’t get pregnant how powerful the omnipresent specter of pregnancy is? How the hyper-awareness of other people’s expectant entitlement toward your body dogs you through every day of your life?”

Tunnel 13

Julian Smith | Alta Journal | June 21, 2026 | 9,514 words

“A botched train robbery in Oregon’s Siskiyou Mountains left four men dead, led to an international manhunt, and helped usher forensic science into the modern age.”

Middle of Somewhere

Natalia Galicza | Deseret News | May 22, 2206 | 3,009 words

“One remote highway in Nevada links far-flung communities that attracted settlers for generations. Why are some still drawn there today?”

The Mars Delusion

Henry Wismayer | Noēma | June 18, 2026 | 6,899 words

“Establishing a human colony on Mars is fraught with risk. Why are so many people obsessed with achieving it?”

Secrets of the Magus

Mark Singer | The New Yorker | April 5, 1993 | 14,754 words

“Ricky Jay does closeup magic that flouts reality.”

Return to the River

Ian Dille | Texas Highways | June 8, 2026 | 3,823 words

“Nearly a year after the devastating July 4 floods, Hill Country communities are still grieving and rebuilding, while hoping to welcome visitors back to the Guadalupe.”

The Top 5 Longreads of the Week

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

The Top 5 Longreads of the Week

Stories from Mina Tavakoli, Lindsey Adler, Joshua Jackson, Ben Tarnoff, Paloma Karr, and Jon Greenaway.

Recent editors’ picks

How the Crossword Conquered America

Imogen West-Knights | Slate | June 22, 2026 | 6,256 words

“Even in a boom time for games, the decidedly old-fashioned puzzles are more popular than ever. I went to the best place on Earth to understand why.”

A Diehard Drinker Accidentally Quits

Sarah Miller | The New Yorker | June 20, 2026 | 4,847 words

“The cultural discourse around avoiding alcohol never convinced me—and why sober up when the world is burning? Then life intervened.”

Happy Fucking Birthday

Christopher Hooks | Harper’s Magazine | June 17, 2026 | 9,666 words

“An exhausted America turns two hundred and fifty.”

Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.