This week’s stories include techno, New Zealand, relationships, background music and doodles.
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The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
Recommending stories by Alice Hines, Maggie Harrison Dupré, Katie Engelhart, Pooja Bhatia, and Tom Lamont.
Imagine Your Last Day of Work Ever. Here’s Theirs.
“How a range of new retirees marked the end of their working days.”
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
Showcasing stories from Jelani Cobb, Taylor Lorenz, Jack Shafer, and Max Tani; Nylah Iqbal Muhammad; Irina Dumitrescu; Leo Robson; and Caitlin Moran.
How Cheerleading Became So Acrobatic, Dangerous and Popular
“For decades, the sport has been shaped in large part by one company — and one man.”
America’s Monster
“Uncovering the brutal career of a crucial American ally. And the hidden truths of the war in Afghanistan.”
The For-Profit City That Might Come Crashing Down
“The dream of PrĂłspera, founded by a U.S. corporation off the coast of Honduras, was to escape government control. The Honduran government wants it gone.”
Why Did This Guy Put a Song About Me on Spotify?
“The answer involves a remarkable — and lucrative, and ridiculous — scheme to game the way we find music today.”
The Man Who Thinks He Can Live Forever
“The goal is to get his 46-year-old organs to look and act like 18-year-old organs.”
Sure, It Won an Oscar. But Is It Criterion?
“How the Criterion Collection became the film world’s arbiter of taste.”

