Core Being

“I ran to not know myself, to reduce myself to a casing of bones, yet I also ran to be empty of them.  I ran to forget my body.”

Source: Tin House
Published: Nov 7, 2018
Length: 18 minutes (4,636 words)

Deployment to Iraq changed my view of God, country, and humankind. So did coming home.

War doesn’t just assault your physical self, it assaults your understanding of the world, your ethics, and your faith — even when you think you’re on the “right” side.

Author: Phil Klay
Published: Nov 11, 2018
Length: 31 minutes (7,977 words)

Falling for my Booty Call

In this personal essay,Sarah Kasbeer reflects on a history of hookups — and why they left her cold.

Source: Longreads
Published: Nov 12, 2018
Length: 15 minutes (3,867 words)

A Serial Killer, a Receipt, and My Mom: Haunted by the Murder of 33 Boys

The author’s mother was a key witness in serial killer John Wayne Gacy’s trail, and Gacy’s presence in her childhood has haunted her into adulthood. To honor his 33 victims and exorcise herself, she spoke with her mom about Gacy.

Published: Oct 31, 2018
Length: 9 minutes (2,462 words)

Partners in Crime: The Life, Loves, & Nuyorican Noir of Jerry Rodriguez

Michael Gonzales tells a story of an enduring friendship.

Source: Longreads
Published: Nov 9, 2018
Length: 21 minutes (5,320 words)

Losing Laura

When 34-year-old Laura Levis began having an asthma attack, she went to a nearby hospital to save herself but was unable to locate an open entrance. She lost consciousness just outside the emergency room and died seven days later. Her husband, Peter DeMarco, set out to determine why this happened and discovered a series of systemic problems that all played roles in Laura’s death.

Source: Boston Globe
Published: Nov 3, 2018
Length: 50 minutes (12,676 words)

M.F.K. Fisher and the Art of the Culinary Selfie

“First we eat, then we do everything else”: on the legacy of M.F.K. Fisher, food writers (or writers who deal with food), and the politics of what we eat and why.

Source: Vice Magazine
Published: Nov 5, 2018
Length: 14 minutes (3,611 words)

An Axe for the Frozen Sea

““You too have your tools,” wrote Kafka in a passage about fear, and I thought of that line whenever I was scared: I will get through this. I can talk to friends, write about it. Years later, I came across a different translation of the same text: “You too have your weapons.”

Source: The Believer
Published: Sep 28, 2018
Length: 25 minutes (6,260 words)

“I Don’t Really See Any Value in Saying, ‘I Told You So,’”: Prince Charles on His Climate-Change Fight, Life with Camilla, and Becoming King

“As the Prince of Wales turns 70, James Reginato hops on a royal flight to catch up with the longest-waiting heir apparent in history.”

Source: Vanity Fair
Published: Nov 1, 2018
Length: 19 minutes (4,750 words)

Why Do Asian-Americans Remain Largely Unseen in Film and Television?

“Having been raised on a mediocre diet of American television and mainstream Hollywood movies, I can count on one hand the actors of Asian descent who made an impression on me growing up. Their performances have stayed with me, like a novel you may never read again but pack with you every time you move.”

Published: Nov 6, 2018
Length: 17 minutes (4,499 words)