How to Raise a Boy

Will Leitch’s father taught him how to shoot a gun because he “thought it was something that a man was supposed to do.” Now with a son of his own, Will is conflicted: Should he teach his son to be the best, to be a “golden child,” or should he teach his son that the world wasn’t made just for him?

Published: Mar 5, 2018
Length: 11 minutes (2,900 words)

What Does It Cost To Be Big On Instagram?

It’s no surprise that breaking into the seemingly perfect life of being an Instagram influencer takes time, money and a lot of hard work. But once you make it, is it worth it? For some, social media fame is the goal, and for others, its only the stepping stone to a “real” job.

Author: Jarry Lee
Source: BuzzFeed
Published: Mar 3, 2018
Length: 12 minutes (3,200 words)

My 10-Year Odyssey Through America’s Housing Crisis

This Fall marks a decade since beginning the housing crisis—but what marks the end?  Ten years of renting, watching the market, attempting to sell, and finally determining how much of a loss he could take on his home, left a WSJ reporter with the understanding that the crisis is only over when it’s over for you.

Published: Jan 26, 2018
Length: 19 minutes (4,900 words)

On Thin Ice

Homeward Bound is an Australian organization dedicated to helping women achieve leadership positions in the field of science, though ironically, the mentorship program has been plagued by the prevalence of sexual harassment during the program’s three-week long Antarctic voyage. Perhaps the worst part? Women who have reported concerns feel silenced by the organization. “Their belief is that Homeward Bound is not yet a safe space for women, even as it works toward making science more inclusive of them.”

Source: Grist
Published: Feb 28, 2018
Length: 14 minutes (3,550 words)

These Writers Are Launching A New Wave Of Native American Literature

A new generation of indigenous writers reject the aesthetics and standards of the white publishing world. And finally, the first Native-focused MFA program is here to facilitate their visions and voices, and make Native Americans more visible in literature.

Source: BuzzFeed
Published: Feb 22, 2018
Length: 26 minutes (6,539 words)

She’s Taught at the Parkland High School for 14 Years. Can She Go Back?

Journalism teacher Melissa Falkowski survived the shooting that claimed 17 peoples’ lives, but the aftermath is just as challenging. She returned to the classroom where she and her students huddled for safety, but now her son worries he isn’t safe at elementary school. How can she tell him otherwise?

Source: Tampa Bay Times
Published: Feb 23, 2018
Length: 8 minutes (2,232 words)

Jerry and Marge Go Large

How a dyslexic cereal box designer with a penchant for puzzles and patterns figured out a loophole in the Cash WinFall state lottery game, earning $27 million in gross profits playing the lottery over nine years in two states.

Published: Mar 1, 2018
Length: 43 minutes (10,910 words)

Staying Alive

Steve Almond rediscovers his love of pinball as an adult and joins a social club dedicated to the enjoyment and preservation of pinball machines.

Published: Mar 1, 2018
Length: 14 minutes (3,621 words)

How Defective Guns Became the Only Product That Can’t Be Recalled

Unlike with thousands of other consumer products, no government entity in the U.S. has the power to police defective firearms or ammunition. Taurus has sold nearly a million handguns that can potentially fire even if no one pulls the trigger. After the accidental death of their son, one family is seeking justice.

Published: Feb 28, 2018
Length: 16 minutes (4,100 words)

The People’s History of John Leguizamo

“John Leguizamo ought to be a star,” Joshua Rivera writes, but to this day, “despite decades in Hollywood, John Leguizamo has to put on a show of his own to say anything he truly wants to say.” Leguizamo is going to keep telling his own story anyway — more and more vulnerably, “because you’ve gotta reach everybody” — by continuing his lifelong rewrite of so many revisionist histories that have left Latinx stories out of the spotlight.

Source: GQ
Published: Feb 28, 2018
Length: 17 minutes (4,400 words)