The Unlisted
How people without an address are stripped of their basic rights—an excerpt from The Address Book.
Real Estate for the Apocalypse: My Journey into a Survival Bunker
In the Black Hills of South Dakota, entrepreneurs are translating fears of societal collapse into post-apocalyptic gated communities.
Orderly, dour, cowed: how my beloved Italy is changed by coronavirus
Holed up with his family in their Parma flat, Tobias Jones tells of the eerie atmosphere in a country usually known for sociability, chaos and fun.
The Invisible City: How a Homeless Man Built a Life Underground
“After decades among the hidden homeless, Dominic Van Allen dug himself a bunker beneath a public park. But his life would get even more precarious.”
People Don’t Get it’: Inside the World of Hyper-Realistic Baby Doll Collecting
Kelli Korducki dives into a subculture of (mostly) women who collect “reborns” — dolls made to look and feel like actual human infants. Sometimes the dolls are a source of emotional support and comfort; sometimes they are collectible art objects; and sometimes they are income generators for those who profit off of viral YouTube videos in which they care for the “babies.”
Tampon wars: the battle to overthrow the Tampax empire
For decades, one company has ruled the world of tampons. But will a new wave of brands usurp the old order?
Bring up the Bodies: the Retired Couple who Find Drowning Victims
With specialized sonar equipment and patience, Gene and Sandy Ralston have found the bodies of over 100 people who’ve succumbed from every manner of death from accidental drowning to premeditated murder. Their work is critical, bringing much-needed closure to families, some who have waited decades to say goodbye to their loved one.
Question Time: My Life as a Quiz Obsessive
From India and Ireland to the U.S., quiz tournaments are enduringly popular even — if not especially — as information has become more accessible than ever.
William Gibson: ‘I was losing a sense of how weird the real world was’
William Gibson talks to Sam Leith at the Guardian about how he got into writing science fiction, how his breakout novel Neuromancer was possible because he knew nothing about computers, the subtle, yet striking similarities that make London and Toyko great settings for his work, and the fact that even in science fiction, you’re lost without your phone charger.
A Scandal in Oxford: The Curious Case of the Stolen Gospel
A first-century fragment of the Book of Mark, Hobby Lobby, dissolved mummy masks, an Oxford professor named Obbink: manuscript nerds unite, this one’s a doozy.