A series of losses prompts s.e. smith to wonder why, if it’s inevitable, we tend to view death as failure.
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“That Was the Final Straw”: On Reporting From Venezuela as It Spiraled Downward
During two chaotic weeks in July, Christian Borys chronicled the stories of young activists facing an impossible dilemma: exile or dictatorship.
The Biologist Who Believes in the Possibility of ‘Spider-Man-like’ Transformations of People
A biologist believes that “Spider-Man-like transformations of people” are possible in the near-future.
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
Our top stories of the week, as chosen by the editors at Longreads.
Death Rattle: The Body’s Betrayals
Since my father’s death, I dream about descents and falls. How, without warning, gravity has you in its grip.
Death Rattle: The Body’s Betrayals
Since my father’s death, I dream about descents and falls. How, without warning, gravity has you in its grip.
Camping with Kids: A Non-Primer
Reid Doughten revises his simple equation for combining camping with parenting toddlers.
America’s First Addiction Epidemic
The alcohol epidemic devastated Native American communities, leading to crippling poverty, astonishingly high mortality rates — and a successful sobriety movement.
Not Really A Distant Aunt: My Family’s Slave
“Once, when I was sick for a long time and too weak to eat, she chewed my food for me and put the small pieces in my mouth to swallow.”
You Can See the Battle Scars
How Venezuela’s resistance movement — and the country’s democracy — reached a breaking point during one week in July.

