When it came to gathering refugees, the waiting room of the U.S. consulate was probably the closest thing to Rick’s Café Américain.
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Who Sank El Faro? An Interview With Rachel Slade
Having solved the mystery of the largest maritime disaster in a generation, Rachel Slade can see how what happened on the ocean is an allegory for what’s happening on dry land.
‘I Had Nothing To Do With It But Have Been Punished’: Issac Bailey On His Brother Moochie, the Murderer
Issac Bailey wants us to recognize that the families of perpetrators need just as much support as the families of victims.
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
This week, we’re sharing stories by Sarah Menkedick, Adam Davidson, Ross Andersen, Victor Luckerson, and Tara Murtha.
Born Again
“Rebirth therapy” was meant to help a troubled girl start over, but it ended her life instead.
‘You Wouldn’t Think the Ashes of a Man Would Be So Heavy’: Remembering Sam Shepard
Remembering the late actor and playwright Sam Shepard.
In Defense of Facts: What Is the Essay?
When does fact become fiction? William Deresiewicz on essays, embellishment, and the slippery slope of “truthiness.”
‘For Eight Years Barack Obama Walked on Ice and Never Fell’
Obama was born into a country where laws barring his very conception—let alone his ascendancy to the presidency—had long stood in force. A black president would always be a contradiction for a government that, throughout most of its history, had oppressed black people. The attempt to resolve this contradiction through Obama—a black man with deep […]
A Toxic Tour Through Underground Ohio
A booming injection well industry is pumping toxic waste deep into the earth in Ohio’s rural towns.
Longreads Best of 2017: Crime Reporting
We asked writers and editors to choose some of their favorite stories of the year in various categories. Here is the best in crime reporting.

