The Bison and the Blackfeet

“The species biologists call Bison bison is known in the Blackfoot language as iinnii, in Arapaho as bii or heneecee, and in any Indigenous plains language as a synonym for life itself.”

Source: Sierra Magazine
Published: Jun 14, 2021
Length: 14 minutes (3,660 words)

The State of Ohio vs. a Sex-Trafficked Teenager

“The criminal justice system mishandled 15-year-old Alexis Martin’s case. Now she’s living with the consequences.”

Published: Jun 1, 2021
Length: 21 minutes (5,300 words)

Benji Is One Down Dog

The blue heeler “is one of the most famous canines in America, but he hasn’t let it go to his sweet, soft little head.”

Source: Texas Monthly
Published: Jun 2, 2021
Length: 7 minutes (1,900 words)

If We Can Soar: What Birmingham Roller Pigeons Offer the Men of South Central

“But there’s a deeper story behind what the birds offered them then and still offer today, with men entering their fifth and sixth decade raising Birmingham Rollers. A why shaped by race, place, and gender. A why that traces the plight of Black men in the U.S., landing us squarely in the prevailing systems of inequality that still exist today.”

Source: Pipe Wrench
Published: Jun 15, 2021
Length: 26 minutes (6,574 words)

Love and the Burning West

“She nearly died while fighting a fire. All she could think about was the tragedy of dying while still a virgin.”

Source: Shondaland
Published: Jun 9, 2021
Length: 6 minutes (1,667 words)

‘The Foot Soldiers’: A Neo-Nazi Skinhead Gang Terrorized Dallas in the Late 1980s

“The racist white nationalist movement has deep roots. Some run directly back to Dallas and the violent Confederate Hammerskins.”

Source: Dallas Observer
Published: Jun 9, 2021
Length: 26 minutes (6,624 words)

Pecos Jane Has a Name

“… it was left to some still-unknown tipster with an apparent interest in obscure cold cases to reignite the search for Pecos Jane’s identity. Were it not for “Jacy J,” the mystery might never have been solved.”

 

Source: Texas Monthly
Published: Jun 14, 2021
Length: 27 minutes (6,971 words)

Blindsided: A Dream Engagement Turned Nightmare

“Any serious doubts Don might have had about Teri didn’t creep in until after he received her out-of-the-blue breakup text. But the doubts turned to bewilderment six days later, on September 26, when Don’s old girlfriend showed up at his house in Lafayette to check on him, and instead ended up informing him of a devastating turn of events she had seen in the local news.”

Author: Mary Milz
Published: May 31, 2016
Length: 22 minutes (5,522 words)

My Mission to Find the Best Truck of All Time

“First-gen Tundras are the difficult fish. And while a pickup truck might not be your thing, something else probably is: that perfect pair of running shoes, a custom surfboard, a backpack that fits like an Italian suit. The expert’s pick, the quiver killer.”

Author: Nick Heil
Published: Jun 14, 2021
Length: 12 minutes (3,231 words)

Called by God

“With the help of OUR, a rich person can become a vigilante hero for the day, their living room transformed into a personal situation room. For those who can’t afford the situation room, Ballard carries the drama with him to every interview and every fundraiser.”

Author: Meg Conley
Source: Slate
Published: May 11, 2021
Length: 10 minutes (2,684 words)