“There’s something about losing yourself in a communal experience that’s immensely appealing in this age of virtual meetings and not-so-social media. We want to see the artists we love in person. We want to believe they’re singing directly to us.” Elizabeth Blackwell, a regular commentator on cultural phenomena (check out her Reality TV and Pivotal […]
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Pour One Out
“Why was it common knowledge yesterday that alcohol in moderation is good for you, but it’s common knowledge today that no amount of alcohol is OK?”
The Case for Hanging Out
“There’s a growing crisis in our social lives. Could the cure be this simple?”
‘We Have Fire All Around Us and We Can’t Get Out’
“What happened when two experienced hikers got caught in the Bolt Creek Fire.”
Out of Our Minds: Opium’s Part in Imperial History
“How a mind-altering, addictive substance was used as a weapon by one empire to subdue another.”
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
Recommending noteworthy reads from Tim Prudente and Stokely Baksh, Rachel Aviv, Abby Tickell, Nick Zarzycki, and Andrea Sachs.
Living in Tracy Chapman’s House
“Fresh out of college, we were a bunch of misfits, in a chaotic, run-down communal home, desperately trying to figure out who we were meant to be.”
What It’s Like to Be a Professional Card Counter
“I get kicked out of a lot of casinos.”


