The Glue

Inside the creative genius of one of Saturday Night Live‘s most important cast members, the late Phil Hartman.

Source: Grantland
Published: Aug 28, 2014
Length: 16 minutes (4,225 words)

The Gangster in the Huddle

The troubled life of Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez.

Source: Rolling Stone
Published: Aug 28, 2013
Length: 31 minutes (7,930 words)

How Plagues Really Work

An anthropologist looks at the history of pandemics—from Ancient Athens to the 1918 influenza—to examine how plagues really spread. The answer is surprising, as she posits that the next Ebola will not emerge from the jungles, or as a result of contact with exotic animals. Instead, it is humans we should fear, specifically humans living in very close proximity, in what she terms “the disease factories” of hospitals, refugee camps and cities.

Source: Aeon
Published: Aug 22, 2014
Length: 10 minutes (2,551 words)

‘Yours Lovingly’: A Reading List About Letters and Pen Pals

A young woman exchanges letters with a Hollywood director and writer. A man writes to a convicted killer. Fan letters to a troubled country star. Here are six stories about the letters we write to one another.

Author: Mike Dang
Source: Longreads
Published: Aug 27, 2014

‘Mango, Mango!’ A Family, a Fruit Stand, and Survival on $4.50 a Day

Inside the “informal economy”: A new Longreads Exclusive from Douglas Haynes and Orion magazine.

Source: Orion Magazine
Published: Aug 27, 2014
Length: 21 minutes (5,391 words)

The Evolution of Diet

A look at how our diets have evolved from the Stone Age, and what our modern menus are doing to us.

Published: Aug 25, 2014
Length: 15 minutes (3,781 words)

Florida Owes Devaughn Darling’s Family $1.8 Million. Thirteen Years Later, They’re Still Waiting

The story of disgraceful behavior by the state of Florida. Florida State football player Devaughn Darling died after a team workout. The family sued, and settled with the state for $2 million. They still only have received a small portion of that money.

Source: SB Nation
Published: Aug 27, 2014
Length: 25 minutes (6,498 words)

Made for China

As American audiences tire of big budget spectacle, Hollywood has begun to tailor its blockbusters for the ever-expanding Chinese market.

Author: Shawn Wen
Source: The New Inquiry
Published: Aug 27, 2014
Length: 9 minutes (2,414 words)

A Tale of Two Abortion Wars

While pro-life activists fight to rescue IVF embryos from the freezer, pregnant women in their third trimester with catastrophic fetal anomalies have nowhere to turn.

Published: Aug 26, 2014
Length: 16 minutes (4,192 words)

The Boy with Half a Brain

Jeff and Tiernae Buttars made a difficult decision to have a portion of their son’s brain surgically removed to eliminate his seizures. The decision changed all of their lives.

Published: Aug 26, 2014
Length: 19 minutes (4,866 words)