Hi there, Last week, the American Society of Magazine Editors announced the finalists for this year’s National Magazine Awards. At Longreads, the first thing we noticed was that our sister publication, The Atavist, was a finalist in the Profile category for the story “Coming to America.” The second thing we noticed was how many of […]
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The Native Scholar Who Wasn’t
“Academia is an industry, like journalism, that defines itself in large part by its ethical standards; we’re supposed to educate people and produce knowledge. So what does it mean that we’re also a haven for fakes?”
After Lorne
“The ringmaster of ‘Saturday Night Live’ is 80 years old. What happens to the show, not to mention American comedy, when he retires?”
What’s Happening to Reading?
“For many people, A.I. may be bringing the age of traditional text to an end.”
Our Best of 2024, and a Question for You
Hi there, Somehow, this is the thirteenth year of our annual “Best Of” series. As usual, we’ll be sharing our favorite reads across several categories—but this week, we wanted to try something a little different. Starting yesterday and for the remainder of the week, you’ll find an essay from each of the Longreads editors, reflecting […]
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
This week, we’re sharing stories from Desiree Stennett and Caroline Glenn, Imani Perry, Bethany Marcel, Joshua Hunt, and David Alm.
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
This week, we’re sharing stories from Kerry Howley, Suzanne Cope, Micheli Oliver, Jeff Mao, and Rob Brunner.
A Question from Longreads
Hi there, Somehow, this is the thirteenth year of our annual “Best Of” series. As usual, we’ll be sharing our favorite reads across several categories next week—but this week, we wanted to try something a little different. That’s why, starting Monday, we’ve been publishing essays from each of the Longreads editors, reflecting on their year […]
Feast Your Eyes on Japan’s Fake Food
“However persuasive they might be as facsimiles, shokuhin sampuru are subjective interpretations, seeking not only to replicate dishes but to intensify the feelings associated with the real thing.”
What Can Covid-19 Teach Us About the Mysteries of Smell?
“What exactly was happening inside patients to make their sense of smell disappear in such an unusual way? Could Covid-related smell loss teach us anything new about how the virus worked? Or about how we did?”


