“In late Renaissance Florence one in five women lived behind institutional walls whose rule was sensory mortification. Historians are struggling to recover their inexpressible secrets.”
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Posted inTop 5
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
Showcasing stories from Julia Webster Ayuso, Abe Beame, Tracy Thompson, Will Boast, and Gary Grimes.
Posted inFeature
A Year in Reading: Inward Journeys
Navigating a world in flux demands some understanding of who you really are, and some of my favorite pieces from this year speak to that need.
Posted inReading List
‘Actually Really Sacred’: A George Saunders Reading List
Nine essays and interviews from literature’s favorite laureate of compassion.
Posted inEditor's Pick
At the Gates of Fortress Europe
“The story of Sajjad Mohammedhasan, who sought asylum but received a year in Lithuania’s border prisons.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
Swallowing: I Was Mike Mew’s Patient
“I wondered if the two dentists were right—whether my body was becoming ugly. And if it was, why it would do that to me. This was something I had not thought about before.”
Posted inTop 5
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
Showcasing stories from Megan O’Grady, Alexander Sammon, Alaina Demopoulos, Blair Braverman, and Jack Crosbie.
Posted inTop 5
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
In this week’s Top 5 we have lessons from apartheid, clever Claude, feeling bodies anew, the power of wax, and free mining.
Posted inTop 5
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
Recommending stories from Viola Zhou, Mina Tavakoli, Stephanie Krzywonos, Maggie Millner, and Joe Hagan.
