How a folk hero inspired one of the most covered songs in American history.
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Posted inProfiles & Interviews, Story
‘I Try Not to Have a Schedule’: Talking Writing with William Vollmann
Renowned for the size of his books as the magnitude of his subjects, the author is ready to take on waste and climate change.
Posted inBusiness & Tech, Profiles & Interviews, Quotes
Can Apple End Smartphone Addiction?
Technology platforms rely on hijacking our attention. Can Apple help us win it back?
Posted inNonfiction, Top 5
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
This week, we’re sharing stories from Rebecca Solnit, Robert F. Worth, Margaret Talbot, Porochista Khakpour, and Frank Bures.
Posted inNonfiction, Quotes
For Caregivers from the Philippines, the Israeli Dream Is Fragile
In colloquial Hebrew, the word filipinit — a woman from the Philippines — is no longer a simple demonym; Filipinas have dominated the eldercare sector in Israel for so long that it has become a generic term for “caregiver.” In the New York Times Magazine, Ruth Margalit explores the stories of precariously employed women and […]
Posted inBooks, Current Events, Nonfiction
The Great Online School Scam
Students are performing worse than ever, but private companies are making millions.
Posted inArts & Culture, Nonfiction, Quotes
Prog Rock: The Musical Genre That Won’t Die
The “progressive” form of 1970s rock and roll still has as many devoted fans as it does diehard enemies. Why?
Posted inNonfiction, Quotes, Sports
Overcoming the Grief-Soaked Years: The (Yukon) Quest for Solace
At ESPNW, Matt Crossman profiles Katherine Keith, a musher and Ironman athlete who overcame grief to win Rookie of the Year, placing seventh in the Yukon Quest, a 1,000-mile dog sled race.
Posted inHistory, Story
The Word Is ‘Nemesis’: The Fight to Integrate the National Spelling Bee
For talented black spellers in the 1960s, the segregated local spelling bee was the beginning and the end of the long road to Washington, D.C.
Posted inEssays & Criticism, Feature, Nonfiction
From One Friendship, Lessons on Life, Death, AIDS, and Childlessness
S. Kirk Walsh reflects on her friendship with a gay man battling AIDS — how he taught her to grieve her own infertility, and live life more fully.
