“Sumana Roy ponders the linguistic and aesthetic significance of ‘etceterization.'”
Search results
Rabelaisian Enumerations: On Lists
“What sort of collection should a library hold? How should books be classified? What is the function of lists?”
Scrabble, Anonymous
“Somehow, doing it with other people took the stain away, made it feel fun instead of abject.”
Against Rereading
“For those who do not reread, a book is like a little life. When it ends, it dies—or it lives on, imperfectly and embellished, in your memories.”
At the Great Florida Bigfoot Conference
“As a thirty-six-year-old progressive, I was an outlier in this crowd. But, like many, I was a believer.”
Six Handbags
“I’ve been looking for a bag that can fit my life. I should be looking for a life that can fit into my bag. I do not need to read, to go to the gym. I need only what will fit inside the portal.”
Ever New
“In Beverly Glenn-Copeland’s music, the present moment is an astonishing, improbable gift.”
Reading Behind Bars, and Beyond Barriers
“Jackie Snow reflects on what working for a books-to-prisons nonprofit has taught her about reading.”
Days and Nights in Gaza
“Watching TV that first day, we awaited the roar of planes and the rumble of explosions. We didn’t have to wait long.”
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
Showcasing stories from William Finnegan, Meghan Flaherty, Kulsoom Ijaz, Amy Weiss-Meyer, and Dan Werb.

