What I Learned About Terrorism by Talking With My Father’s Kidnapper

The daughter of Terry Anderson—the Associated Press bureau chief held hostage and tortured in Lebanon for seven years from 1985 to 1991—interviews her father’s kidnapper, and gains insight into what makes Islamic terrorists tick.

Source: Longreads
Published: Oct 26, 2016
Length: 7 minutes (1,882 words)

Why Pop Culture Just Can’t Deal With Black Male Sexuality

Wesley Morris takes on American culture’s deep, all-abiding fear of the black penis and “America’s dubious assumptions about the sexual prowess of black men.”

Published: Oct 27, 2016
Length: 24 minutes (6,244 words)

The Writer Who Was Too Strong To Live

A heartbreaking story on alcoholism and a superstar sports journalist. Jennifer Frey soon disappeared from the business, and died earlier this year.

Source: Deadspin
Published: Oct 28, 2016
Length: 37 minutes (9,445 words)

I Went Undercover With a Border Militia. Here’s What I Saw.

Bauer goes on a border operation with a paramilitary group to get a firsthand look at the growing militia movement in the U.S.

Source: Mother Jones
Published: Oct 25, 2016
Length: 58 minutes (14,654 words)

When Vine Was Hollywood’s Future

Twitter just decided to discontinue its six-second-video app. This is a dramatic end for a platform that launched numerous viral hits and entertainment careers.

Author: Tad Friend
Source: New Yorker
Published: Dec 15, 2014
Length: 26 minutes (6,575 words)

Camera-phone Lucida

“Part of the pleasure of Instagram is the way it edits out the ugly emotions that make up so much of the rest of social media. But it takes tremendous energy to live a life managed for appearances. The longer one lives in this world, the more tempting it becomes to escape, and to disappear.” Meditations on art history, Instagram, and the curated life.

Source: The Point
Published: Jul 15, 2016
Length: 17 minutes (4,365 words)

The Other Sister

A moving personal essay by Ciara O’Rourke about preparing for a future in which she is the primary caregiver for her sister, who is living with autism.

Source: Seattle Met
Published: Oct 27, 2016
Length: 16 minutes (4,127 words)

The Trick to It All: A Conversation with Photographer Henry Leutwyler

Henry Leutwyler on portraiture and the magic of inanimate objects.

Source: Longreads
Published: Oct 27, 2016
Length: 13 minutes (3,326 words)

Inside Trump Tower

If you want to know how Trump will run America, look inside his beloved Trump Tower, home to ex-cons, millionaires and celebrities, all perched high above New York City in ten fewer stories than Trump wants you to believe.

Source: Bloomberg
Published: Oct 25, 2016
Length: 9 minutes (2,326 words)

Salt, Sugar, Fat, Repeat: A Reading List on Restaurant Chains

Here are some of our favorite reads on America’s restaurant chains, from the generically upscale to the proudly down-home. They cover politics, economics, regional identity, and even (surprise!) food.

Source: Longreads
Published: Oct 26, 2016