On trying to be a “world citizen”—and how expat life rarely delivers on its promises.
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A Friend Named Arthur and The Week’s Top 5
“But now I like to imagine him in Paris, sitting at a café, drinking an espresso, his notebook open, full of notes and poetry. It’s easy to picture in my mind. He’d look perfect there.” Four years ago, Kevin Sampsell lost his friend Arthur to suicide. He started writing about him three years ago—but the […]
Danger on the Divide
“If I’d felt more confident on the route, if he hadn’t made that comment, if we’d been communicating more, would I have pushed for another day off? If, if, if.”
A Hunger for Strangeness: A Cryptids Reading List
What legendary beasts might we discover to be not so legendary after all?
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
Notable reads by Atef Abu Saif, Sonia Smith, James McNaughton, Dorothy Wickenden, and Kevin Koenig.
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
This week we’re sharing stories from Jennifer Senior, Danyel Smith, Christopher Mathias, Mitchell Consky, and Tamara Saade.
Six Stories About a Complex Cuisine and Our Top 5
“Migration patterns, together with demographic trends and climate change, mean that the cuisine must adapt. Italian food—so rooted in tradition and adamant in its authenticity—will have to change.” In previous reading lists, Longreads contributor Clare Egan has explored a range of topics: Ireland, queer ecology, and the decision to have a child. This week, Egan dives […]
Best of 2023: Investigations
Our top picks in the investigative reporting category.
Pondering Parenthood, Meals for One, and Five Excellent Reads
“When faced with a dilemma I can’t solve, my usual strategy is to read. I order a bunch of books and immerse myself in other people’s experiences. It allows my thoughts to coalesce around a few themes; from there, I can see where I agree and where I diverge. To paraphrase Joan Didion, I read […]
Who’s Afraid of Lorne Michaels?
Very rarely can we see an entire system reflected in one person. The creator and executive producer of “Saturday Night Live” is such a person.


