When Alexander Chee’s father died at 43, he left behind a trust that would set the course of his son’s life.
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Longreads Best of 2018: All of Our No. 1 Story Picks
Here’s every story that was chosen as No. 1 in our weekly Top 5 email.
Why Karen Carpenter Matters
For one brown, queer Filipino-American, Karen Carpenters’ music anchored her to her musical family’s past while helping chart her path in their adopted Southern California.
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
This week, we’re sharing stories from Rahawa Haile; Hannah Dreier; Rukmini Callimachi; Mary Anne Mohanraj, Keah Brown, S. Bear Bergman, Matthew Salesses, and Kiese Laymon; and Molly Fitzpatrick.
This Is What It Was Like Learning To Report Before Fake News Was The Biggest Problem In The World
BuzzFeed editor-in-chief Ben Smith recalls what it was like working as a young reporter in Belarus in 2001. One of his first major stories resulted in his source being beaten and thrown in jail — or so he thought, until he discovered the truth more than 15 years later.
Native Americans’ Persecution Continues; Only the Uniforms Have Changed
Between deadly police shootings and a white correctional officer sexually assualting Native American women, the Bad River Band of the Ojibwe nation feels more preyed upon than protected.
Alternative Reality: ‘Howard Buffett’s Border War’
Redlining, immersive sound installations, a hidden mural and more in this edition of Alternative Reality.
How I Stopped Being Ashamed Of My EBT Card
A reported personal essay in which Janelle Harris writes about reluctantly succumbing to her need for Medicaid and the electronic equivalent of food stamps after she lost her full-time reporting job in 2012, in order to feed herself and her daughter.
Could Kratom End the Opioid Crisis?
Only if the US government doesn’t classify it as a Schedule I controlled substance.
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
This week, we’re sharing stories from Aly Raisman, Joseph Williams, Jenna Wortham, Mayukh Sen, and Sirin Kale.

