Our list of some of the great reported essays published this year includes reads on grief, veganism, the geology of Mexico City, and British real estate.
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A Day in the Life of an Oak Tree, from Mistle Thrush in the Morning to Mice at Midnight
“The pollen of the catkins is sweet on the proboscis of the oak-mining bee, too.”
How to Love a Swamp (and Our Top 5)
“But here’s the thing about swamps: They don’t go down easy. Swamps don’t protest, they insist.” I recently completed a road trip across the Canadian prairies, traveling through the mountains to the southwestern coast of British Columbia. I was relaxed at the wheel, and I enjoyed the chance to think, unencumbered even by radio stations along […]
Ice Cream Panic, Airship Catastrophe, and our Top 5
“But, for me, the classic is an oyster: a scalloped, hinged wafer dipped in mallow and chocolate, with desiccated coconut at the edges, piped full of vanilla soft serve and squiggled madly with monkey’s blood (OK, raspberry sauce).” This summer, I have spent a lot of time in England, and a particular vehicle has been […]
Our Attraction to Disaster and the Week’s Top 5
“Deep in the valley below us, in the middle distance, gaped the great black cauldron of Litli-Hrútur, its insides awash in a churning fiery stew. We stood in silence on the observation mound with our hands on our hips, faces cast in childish masks of wonder and awe.” Last week, I hit the natural hazard […]
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
Showcasing stories from Fatima Syed, Jack Crosbie, Charlotte Higgins, Sonya Bennett-Brandt, and Camille Bromley.
A Year in Reading: Backrooms, Backcountry, and Back Home
From two side of the world—these are the stories shining a light on the overlooked corners often holding the pieces together.
Orange Is the New Yolk
“The specter of those radioactive yolks haunted me. Clearly they were meant to make me feel good about myself, but their effect was uncanny.”
The Day My Wartime Cat Went Missing
“Time to leave it all behind — the people, the country, the war — and return to America, cats in tow.”
The Making of a Monster
“Centuries ago it was an idyllic earthen path. Today’s it’s the most dangerous road for cyclists in America.”


