Hope may seem to be in short supply these days, but these stories dare to chart a course toward something better.
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Best of 2025: All Our Number One Story Picks
Every story we selected for the number one slot in our weekly newsletter, all in one place.
What Death Means to Love and What Love Means to Death
“But perhaps it’s neither here nor there how we think about death. Perhaps the work that must be done is in how we think about life.”
The Excesses of Compassion: A Reading List on Fallen Gurus
Stories about spiritual teachers who lose their way.
‘Stay Away From Miller’
A pioneering humanities program shaped a generation of students and brought acclaim to a public high school in Los Angeles. But beneath the excellence lurked a culture of abuse.
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
This week, our editors recommend stories by Carla Ciccone, Lex Pryor, Bhavya Dore, Michelle Cyca, and Casey Lyons.
Bomb the Multiplex: A ‘Barbenheimer’ Reading List
“With people turning a shared release date into a meme-fueled double feature, we rounded up our favorite reads about 2023’s oddest duo.”
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
This week, our editors recommend stories by Ryan Devereaux, Tess McNulty, Alyssa Harad, Leland Cecco, and Caitlin Giddings
Best of 2022: Features
As part of Best of Longreads, our annual labor of love, we pored over all the stories we’ve picked in 2022 to create these year-end lists. The following features all embody the strong voice and excellent writing that made us fall in love with narrative journalism. Sweeping, hard-hitting, and emotional, each immerses us in a […]
Best of 2024: All Our Number One Story Picks
Every story that appeared in the number one slot in our Weekly Top 5, all in one place.

