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.
Search results
Chronicling Mexico City Nights: The Grave Shift’s Violence
When you work the night shift for too long, the murders start to link up with one another, blending cause and effect in a centrifugal force that gnaws away at the city. The veteran reporters start to see this; the man gunned down one night is related to an ongoing gang dispute, which originates in […]
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.
These Are the Locals Who Get The Story of Charlottesville Right
The historians, activists, reporters, and columnists who tell the complicated and ever-changing story of their own community.
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.
A High-End Mover Dishes on Truckstop Hierarchy, Rich People, and Moby Dick
On the beauty and burdens of the long haul.
Dwayne Johnson Is Everything Our President Isn’t
He works out twice a day, he remembers everyone he meets, he hopes you’re sleeping soundly and doing great!
An Elegy for DNAinfo, Local Media’s First Responders
We were the watchdogs, showing up when no one else did.
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
Our top stories of the week, as chosen by the editors at Longreads.
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.

