“Wallace was a fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants sort. A 54-year-old Massachusetts lawyer and real estate developer, he couldn’t afford to fly conservatively. Gas ballooning, similar to jockeyship, favored lightweight pilots, who could stock their baskets with more sand. Compared with his slighter opponents, Wallace’s six-foot-five, 240-pound frame meant that the equivalent of three additional 30-pound bags of sand […]
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30 Years Later: Groove Theory, “Groove Theory”
“Groove Theory” tries to make the work of staying in love feel as easy as possible, even when it isn’t.
The Lessons of Lore
Ghost stories reveal our collective anxieties amid times of change.
The Heart of a Hunter and the Week’s Top 5
“Most of the time, I’m not as awake as I once was; danger, and hunger, no longer demand it. I’m grateful to feel safe, to have secure access to good food, and yet I also occasionally wonder: where has the hunter gone?” Happy Friday! We’ve got a compelling, thought-provoking feature for you this week. In […]
Letter from Manhattan 2
On trying to be a “world citizen”—and how expat life rarely delivers on its promises.
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
Showcasing stories from Hannah S. Palmer, Jeremy Thomas Gilmer, Spencer Campbell, Mia Sato, and Dina Gachman.
Creation of Woman: Evangelical and Transgender in the Bible Belt
How a spouse’s confession freed a young couple from gender expectations in the Deep South.
My Name Is a Mountain
On language, belonging, and embracing the different versions of ourselves.
Best of 2025: All Our Number Five Story Picks
Every story we selected for the number five slot in our weekly newsletter, in a handy digest.
Finding a Path in a Broken System
Thailand is a top destination for gender confirmation surgery. Its success is a symptom of Western failure.


