He Always Hated Women. Then He Decided to Kill Them.

“Within hours of Beierle’s suicide, hate-site habitues had dubbed him “St. Yogacel” and were scrambling to copy and share the online caches of his music and videos that so perfectly reflected their own worldview.”

Source: Washington Post
Published: Jun 7, 2019
Length: 16 minutes (4,177 words)

The Making of a YouTube Radical

Caleb Cain was an aimless young man looking for some distraction on YouTube. He became radicalized by videos made by a community of far-right creators — many of which were put in front of him by YouTube’s recommendation algorithm.

Published: Jun 8, 2019
Length: 19 minutes (4,817 words)

A Song of Shadow and Light

“The Tacoma Refugee Choir formed to reach out to the most vulnerable. Its founder didn’t anticipate its impact on her—or her city.”

Source: Seattle Met
Published: May 28, 2019
Length: 16 minutes (4,086 words)

The 19th Century Lesbian Made for 21st Century Consumption

Jeanna Kadlec considers Anne Lister, the historical figure at the center of HBO’s Gentleman Jack, and the influence of other queer women who preceded her.

Source: Longreads
Published: Jun 6, 2019
Length: 12 minutes (3,114 words)

Vessel of Antiquity

For musical performance artist Leon Redbone, the past was all the material he needed, except his own, which he replaced with a persona. “I don’t have a past,” he said. “The past begins tomorrow.” Strange enough to earn comparisons to Frank Zappa and Tom Waits, Redbone often got shelved in record stores’ rock sections, even though rock, as one of his band members said, was “the one style of music he didn’t play.” Redbone passed away on May 30, and this profile unravels some mysteries while deepening others.
Author: Megan Pugh
Source: Oxford American
Published: Mar 19, 2019
Length: 20 minutes (5,234 words)

The Permian Basin Is Booming With Oil. But at What Cost to West Texans?

Sure, a few busy barbers earned $180,000 in one year, and a local Dominos sold more pizzas in its first week than any other grand opening in the chain’s history, but that doesn’t do regular folks much good when roads have become dangerous, crime increased, schools can’t retain teachers, and people who earn over $20 an hour can’t afford to rent an apartment.

Source: Texas Monthly
Published: May 29, 2019
Length: 23 minutes (5,895 words)

A Natural Mother

Vivia spent a large portion of her monthly budget on the purchase. She waited twenty-five long days, and when the USPS box appeared, it was heavier than she’d expected. For a moment, she wondered if maybe there was a real baby inside. But, of course, it was a doll.

Source: The Believer
Published: Jun 1, 2019
Length: 23 minutes (5,800 words)

Before, and After, the Jogger

The real rapist in the Central Park Five case attacked many other women. The survivors speak for the first time.

Published: Jun 3, 2019
Length: 32 minutes (8,225 words)

Cultural Differences

An American scholar looks at literature and her own marriage to see the way culture does and does not influence interracial relationships.

Source: The Yale Review
Published: May 24, 2019
Length: 19 minutes (4,756 words)

Stephen Colbert on the Political Targets of Satire

“If the show goes well, maybe the audience sleeps a bit better. And maybe that’s all the show should be. I have said this before, but I know that when you’re laughing, you’re not afraid.”

Published: Jun 3, 2019
Length: 19 minutes (4,785 words)