A half-assed elegy for the Cool-Loser Dream Boy of Gen-X cinema.
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A Beast for the Ages
Why do we love (and fear, and kill) polar bears with so much intensity?
Eating Alone
We’re eating alone more often than in any previous generation. But why should a meal on our own be uninspired? Why shouldn’t the French saying “life is too short to drink bad wine” still apply?
The Case for Letting Malibu Burn
Many of California’s native ecosystems evolved to burn. Modern fire suppression creates fuels that lead to catastrophic fires. So why do people insist on rebuilding in the firebelt?
Three Decades of Cross-Cultural Utopianism in British Music Writing
The history of England’s fertile music press reveals as much about the opinionated English youth who created it as it does the music they covered in the second half of the 20th century.
Peterson’s Complaint
There’s no use debating a feeling. It’s time to change how we engage with Jordan Peterson.
The 25 Most Popular Longreads Exclusives of 2017
The personal essays, original reporting, and collaborations that were our most-read stories of the year.
Not Quite Democracy: Lucie Greene on the Civic Aspirations of Tech Giants
Lucie Greene’s new book “Silicon States” is about the danger of concentrating so much power in so few hands.
Publishing the Best of the Desert: An Interview With Ken Layne
“If you’re doing something small, something that’s mostly your labor and vision, then stick to what makes you satisfied.”
Vanishing Twins
After years of bonding closely with other people, one woman finally goes searching for herself.
