Coming to America and Coming of Age

After escaping gang violence in Honduras and crossing the border as an unaccompanied minor, a 19-year-old must grapple with a new country, high school, and immigration court, all on his own.

Published: Sep 1, 2015
Length: 12 minutes (3,000 words)

Searching for the ‘Grey Market’ Foods of New York City

A writer scours the city in search of a number of allegedly illicit and likely FDA-unapproved food items.

Source: Hopes & Fears
Published: Sep 14, 2015
Length: 11 minutes (2,890 words)

How to Get SuperBetter

Game designer Jane McGonigal argues that playing games can help us develop skills for life.

Source: Longreads
Published: Sep 17, 2015
Length: 18 minutes (4,658 words)

The Rise and Fall of the Last TV Channel That Cared About Music

A requiem for the International Music Feed, a short-lived TV channel that had the distinction of being the last American music video network to play music videos 24/7.

Author: Lisa Mrock
Source: Vice Magazine
Published: Sep 15, 2015
Length: 8 minutes (2,113 words)

Barbie Wants to Get to Know Your Child

What happens when you try to program a doll to have a real conversation with a child? A look at the new A.I.-powered Barbie doll hitting the market this Christmas.

Published: Sep 16, 2015
Length: 25 minutes (6,303 words)

Why the Best War Reporter in a Generation Had to Suddenly Stop

After 14 bloody years of covering conflict for The New York Times, C.J. Chivers had established himself as one of the foremost war reporters of his generation. And then he decided to come home.

Source: Esquire
Published: Sep 14, 2015
Length: 21 minutes (5,464 words)

America’s Most Admired Lawbreaker

The first installment of Steven Brill’s 15-part investigation into Johnson & Johnson.

Source: HuffPost
Published: Sep 15, 2015
Length: 17 minutes (4,418 words)

‘Born to Run’ and the Decline of the American Dream

How Bruce Springsteen’s breakout album captured the decline of the American Dream and embodied “the lost ’70s.”

Source: The Atlantic
Published: Aug 24, 2015
Length: 13 minutes (3,350 words)

How Mary Karr Teaches Her Students About Memory

A short excerpt from The Art of Memoir.

Author: Mary Karr
Published: Sep 15, 2015

The Walkable Multiverse According to Charles Jencks

On an abandoned mining site in Scotland, an architectural theorist attempts to bring the mysteries of the cosmos to life on Earth. A new Longreads Exclusive.

Source: Atlas Obscura
Published: Sep 15, 2015
Length: 22 minutes (5,747 words)