Rainy Season

Two young sisters living in Thailand sneak off their diplomatic compound for a night of beauty and danger in “Rainy Season,” a short story from Beasts & ChildrenAmy Parker’s acclaimed debut collection.

Author: Amy Parker
Source: Longreads
Published: Feb 23, 2016
Length: 30 minutes (7,639 words)

H.

A powerful essay on heroin and harm-reduction that centers on the author’s relationship with her uncle, who is a recovering addict and long-term methadone user.

Source: n+1
Published: Feb 22, 2016
Length: 45 minutes (11,340 words)

Cancer Cons, Phony Accidents and Fake Deaths

After Taryn Wright exposed an elaborate fake tragedy on Facebook, she became an unlikely leader of an online hoax-busting squad.

Source: The Guardian
Published: Feb 18, 2016
Length: 20 minutes (5,239 words)

Five Stories About Espionage

The reality of espionage is still exciting, but it’s more complicated. The good guys and bad guys are not so easily differentiated. Today’s spying relies on social media, surveillance, coercion and ambition.

Source: Longreads
Published: Feb 21, 2016

We Are Hopelessly Hooked

Smartphone use has grown faster than any other consumer technology in history. But has our transformation into “device people” corroded our humanity?

Published: Feb 25, 2016
Length: 16 minutes (4,200 words)

What Should We Say About David Bowie and Lori Maddox?

A superb essay by Jia Tolentino about rape and the story of Lori Maddox, who spoke about losing her virginity to David Bowie when she was just 15 years old.

Source: Jezebel
Published: Feb 19, 2016
Length: 10 minutes (2,630 words)

The Secret Lives of Tumblr Teens

A fascinating look at the rise and fall of teen empires on Tumblr, the blogging platform and social network favored by young people who view themselves as outcasts.

Published: Feb 17, 2016
Length: 39 minutes (9,765 words)

The Best Pollster In Politics

How Ann Selzer, “a fundamentally earnest person operating in one of the more cynical spheres possible,” became the queen of Iowa polling.

Published: Jan 27, 2016
Length: 15 minutes (3,989 words)

A Son Rises in the West

Twenty years ago a Seattle boy moved to Nepal after being recognized as the reincarnation of a revered Tibetan lama. This is his mother’s story.

Source: Seattle Met
Published: Feb 2, 2016
Length: 17 minutes (4,477 words)

The Shame of Wisconsin

Moore’s incisive review of the Netflix documentary Making a Murderer.

Published: Feb 10, 2016
Length: 13 minutes (3,288 words)