SpongeBob SquarePants turned 20 this summer. This is the story of how a marine biology teacher named Stephen Hillenburg gave life to an animated character who continues to delight fans worldwide.
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Posted inStory
The Great White Nope
Canada’s old white publishing institutions are a lesson in what happens when your media industry contracts: journalism no longer serves the reality of the country.
Posted inStory
Downsizing the American Black Middle Class
Government jobs helped thousands of Black families move into the middle class. Now, increasing calls for government privatization are pushing them back out.
Posted inBusiness & Tech, Nonfiction, Reading List
We’re Living in the Golden Age of the Corporate Takedown
Why do we love reading about CEOs behaving badly? Perhaps it’s because we identify with their exhausted workers.
Posted inNonfiction
A Fresh Look at The Smashing Pumpkins’ 1998 Album Adore
Loved and loathed in equal measure, one thing critics can’t take from this influential 90s band is their willingness to evolve musically.
Posted inArts & Culture, Reading List
Cryin’, Dyin’, or Goin’ Somewhere: A Country Music Reading List
Although the sound of the music has changed, country’s themes have endured.
Posted inArts & Culture, Story
Out of Toon
Political cartoons don’t make a huge chunk of change, but they do change the culture. If only that were as valuable to the media as money.
Posted inNonfiction
“Do You Get Shit for Your Name?”
When your name is Osama and you’re living in post-9/11 America, you always know The Question is coming.
Posted inEssays & Criticism, Nonfiction, Story
Old Dudes On Skateboards
The death of his life-long skateboarding friend prompts Aaron Gilbreath to get back on his board — at 44, with his toddler daughter in tow.
Posted inNonfiction
Longreads Best of 2019: Essays
We asked writers and editors to choose some of their favorite stories of the year in various categories. Here is the best in essays.
