“It took office naps, rousing renditions of Motownphilly, and a whole lot of coffee.”
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‘A Felony Just to Own’: The Sleazy Story Behind Penthouse’s Most Controversial Issue
“Peter Bloch, Penthouse‘s then-executive editor: “It was the best-selling issue of Penthouse of all time. Hands down. A complete sellout in, like, two days. You couldn’t get a copy. So there were guys paying—and this is something I saw with my own eyes—a dollar for a peek. A peek!””
COVID-19: Dispatches from Sing Sing
“Sing Sing was going into quarantine. Our movement was limited. No gym. Hospital and commissary runs limited to groups of ten. Staggered seating in the mess hall.”
The Shopper’s Dream of an Optimized Life
The subscription-based business model saves customers time, but it doesn’t help you use that extra time for anything beneficial. In a way you’ll feel good about.
Happy Birthday Tom: A Tom Cruise Reading List
Tom Cruise is about to turn 60 — time for a look back at the life of a master maverick.
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
This week, we’re sharing stories from Ibram X. Kendi, Wesley Morris, James Baldwin, Betsy Morais and Alexandria Neason, and Josina Guess.
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.
Editor’s Roundtable: Stories About Stories
Longreads editors discuss stories in ProPublica/The New Yorker, Wired, and Esquire.
“I Had to Face the Blues Every Day”
Soul and gospel singer Candi Staton let no hardship stand in the way of her voice, one that helped define the music of her generation.
The Secret History of Page Six
One-time New York Post reporter Kate Storey takes a deep dive into the history of the paper’s powerful gossip column, examining how it’s adapted since its founding in 1977, into the age of social media and #MeToo.

