Karissa Chen tries to reconstruct the moment her grandfather, at 19, left Shanghai for Taiwan on a supposed vacation—a decision that would alter his life forever.
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Posted inEssays & Criticism, Nonfiction, Story
Cyberchondria: D.I.Y. Diagnosis in Overdrive
In researching his chronic headache on the web, veteran journalist Barry Newman takes a terrifying walk down the Via Dolorosa of digital self-diagnosis.
Posted inBlog Post, Longreads News, Nonfiction
Longreads Essays Editor Sari Botton’s Guide to Pitching
What I’m looking for, what are the best ways to pitch, and what you can expect from working with me.
Posted inNonfiction, Reading List, Top 5
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
Our top stories of the week, as chosen by the editors at Longreads.
Posted inBusiness & Tech, History, Nonfiction
My Journey to the Heart of the FOIA Request
Fifty years ago, the Freedom of Information Act gave the public access to government secrets — all you had to do was ask. How a simple request became a bureaucratic nightmare.
Posted inEditor's Pick, Nonfiction
Can Love Sparked at Burning Man Last in Everyday Life?
Maria Finn tries to make sense of the euphoric love she experienced at the annual festival in Black Rock City, while she was grieving her brother’s suicide.
Posted inBooks, Nonfiction
A High-End Mover Dishes on Truckstop Hierarchy, Rich People, and Moby Dick
On the beauty and burdens of the long haul.
Posted inEssays & Criticism, Nonfiction, Story
Harnessing His Superpowers for Peace in the Middle East
As an 8-year-old with OCD, Howard Lovy hoped his magical thinking might persuade God to end the Yom Kippur War.
Posted inArts & Culture, Nonfiction, Story
American Sphinx
Civil War monuments in the North erased an emancipated Black population. But the Sphinx looked to a new world: an integrated Africa and America.
Posted inCrime, Nonfiction, Story
The Third Life of Richard Miles
Richard Miles spent 15 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. The state of Texas compensated Miles for his wrongful conviction, but life after vindication has come with its own set of challenges.
