“As the decades passed, washing machines materialized on his property.”
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The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
This week, we’re sharing stories from Tamara Dean, Samanth Subramanian, Sasha Plotnikova, Steve Edwards, and Caity Weaver.
(Alleged) Kings of the Con and the Week’s Top 5
“[T]he most compelling tales of grift aren’t the ones that depend on technology: the bottomless library of fraud-ready photos; the platforms that let anyone claim to be an epidemiologist or electoral fraud whistleblower; the software that can plop your face onto another person’s. No, the tales that captivate us most almost always reveal a person’s longing.” […]
The Longreads Questionnaire, Featuring Maria Popova
The creator of The Marginalian and author of the new book Traversal responds to 25 questions on writing, reading, and creativity.
Black Earth
“In North Carolina, a Black farmer purchased the plantation where his ancestors were enslaved— and is reclaiming his family’s story, his community’s health, and the soil beneath his feet.”
My First Months in Cyberspace
“The earlier internet was a haven, everyone making it up as they went along.”
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
Showcasing stories from Aaron Parsley, David Peisner, Leah Zani, Joseph Earl Thomas, and Matt Reynolds.
How To Build A Thousand-Year-Old Tree
“A set of experimental techniques and technologies that might seem harmful to trees is actually helping ancient forests survive.”
The Canary
“Christopher Mark, I decided, just had to have some deeply personal stake in the problem he solved. But then I found Christopher Mark’s number and called him.”


