“Luke Farritor could have been an artist, or a builder, or someone dedicated to seeing a great historical mystery through. Instead he wound up at the Department of Government Efficiency, slashing, dismantling, undoing.”
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For the Back Street Kids
“The voice of Ozzy Osbourne was unlike anything before it. It changed rock’n’roll, opened up the metal genre, and became the innate sound of alienation, darkness, and high gothic drama. John Darnielle of the Mountain Goats reflects on the loss of the singular frontman.”
Wrapping Up 2024 and the Week’s Top 5
Well, folks, this is it. The last Top 5 newsletter of the year! Whether or not you’re observing any holidays, we hope you enjoy a restorative end to 2024. At the very least, you’ll have the full run of our Best of 2024 package at your disposal—between the stories we discussed in our year-end essays […]
A Vigilante Murder in Grand Marais
How a shocking crime divided a small Minnesota town.
Best of 2024: All Our Number One Story Picks
Every story that appeared in the number one slot in our Weekly Top 5, all in one place.
Tyrian Purple: The Lost Ancient Pigment That Was More Valuable Than Gold
“For millennia, Tyrian purple was the most valuable colour on the planet…. By piecing together ancient clues, could one man bring it back?”
The Woman Who Spent Five Hundred Days in a Cave
“Beatriz Flamini liked to be alone so much that she decided to live underground—and pursue a world record. The experience was gruelling and surreal.”

