‘The history of the West is a deeply turbulent one… that kept the living population in a constant state of unrest. I thought this constant state of unrest must be true for the dead as well.’
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Posted inNonfiction
Father’s Little Helper
While under the influence of Valium, Scott Korb reflects on all the fathers he could have been and the father he has become.
Posted inBooks, Nonfiction, Quotes
On Why Joni Mitchell Deserves Her Due
Carl Wilson argues that her genius has been overlooked for far too long, because of her gender.
Posted inBooks, Fiction, Profiles & Interviews, Story, Writing
Sam Lipsyte on ‘Mental Archery,’ the Quest for Certainty, and Where All the Money Went
“It’s difficult to say what you really think. You’re too aware of the traps, the dead ends, the cul-de-sacs of utterance: all the ways we let cliché steer us in a certain direction, force us to say not quite what we mean…”
Posted inArts & Culture, Nonfiction, Quotes
Joan Didion and the Nature of Narrative
Assessing Joan Didion’s legacy reveals a fascination with the nature of narrative that often supersedes the author’s subjects.
Posted inEssays & Criticism, Nonfiction, Story
With a Rent-Stabilized Lease, Finding the Line Between Luck and a Life Sentence
Eryn Loeb recalls the tiny, decrepit tenement where she lived for a decade, and the cool aunt who passed it on to her.
Posted inAudio, Fiction, Highlight, Podcasts, Profiles & Interviews, Story, Writing
The Truth About Writing Fiction From Your Life
A conversation about writing novels that have roots in reality.
Posted inEssays & Criticism, Nonfiction, Unapologetic Women
Doing Her Quiet Thing
Concerned that she’s a “bad victim,” a writer is silent about being raped—until she isn’t.
Posted inFeature, Nonfiction, Sports, Story
The (Re)selling of Maria Sharapova
On the longevity of Maria Sharapova, who has built a brand beyond the bounds of her tennis stardom that has made her incredibly wealthy, but still striving for more.
Posted inNonfiction
Longreads Best of 2016: Essays & Criticism
We asked a few writers and editors to choose some of their favorite stories of the year in various categories. Here, the best in essays and criticism.
