He made his name in Chicago investigating racial violence, solving crimes, and exposing corruption. But America’s first Black private detective was hiding secrets of his own.
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Posted inNewsletter
Hope in the Desert and the Week’s Top 5
“Talking with them I realized how many people, like me, had run away from hard conversations. How we did it on purpose, and sometimes without realizing. How people who needed to talk waited for invitations to spit out the hard stuff, and how good it felt when they did.” Happy Friday, y’all. Summer is drawing […]
Posted inNonfiction
The Twin Bandits
“The police couldn’t figure out how the perpetrator ripped off two banks at the same time. Until they discovered there wasn’t just one robber but a pair of them: identical twin brothers.”
Posted inReading List
The People Who Know Too Much: A Reading List on Amateur Experts
The people whose private fixations become a way of seeing, remembering, and caring for the world.
Posted inTop 5
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
In this edition: Bear bones, outstanding Outkast, Brightline’s brutality, lasting lunches, ruin ruminations, and more.
Posted inEditor's Pick
The Hunt for B.C.’s Most Notorious Fisherman
Jason Markusoff tells the story of an incredibly brazen fish thief. After being caught numerous times, the puzzling element is why he does not just stop. Poaching, however, takes investment, knowledge and constant effort to evade detection. All the energy Steer has wasted ducking authorities could have been spent leasing a licence, working hard and […]
Posted inTop 5
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
In this edition: Lost soul, copy that, missing beats, muzzled watchdogs, and a ramblin’ man.
Posted inTop 5
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
Showcasing stories from Julia Webster Ayuso, Abe Beame, Tracy Thompson, Will Boast, and Gary Grimes.
Posted inTop 5
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
Showcasing stories from Hannah S. Palmer, Jeremy Thomas Gilmer, Spencer Campbell, Mia Sato, and Dina Gachman.
Posted inNonfiction
Best of 2023: Investigations
Our top picks in the investigative reporting category.
