“So as soon as my reporting was done, I would go home. I would never permit myself to do anything, make dinner, nothing, until I’d sat down with the notebooks.” Happy Friday! We have several updates to share this week. We’re working to improve your overall Longreads experience, and you may notice some small changes while browsing […]
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What Chinatown Means to America — And to Me
In the wake of a nationwide surge of anti-Asian hate crimes, writer Bonnie Tsui reflects on the resiliency of Chinatowns: Chinatown is a place of contradiction. It serves as scapegoat and sanctuary. The first Chinatowns were ghettos for male Chinese laborers, who were forced to live among, and yet apart from, whites; Chinese women were […]
‘Dying Inside’: Chaos and Cruelty in Louisiana Juvenile Detention
Repeated abuse, prolonged lockdowns, overlooked complaints, and a surge in suicide attempts at a juvenile detention center.
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
This week we are sharing stories on gun violence, Silicon Valley in the ’90s, the ability of artificial intelligence, and the community of audiophiles.
Venezuela’s Secret: Crimes Against LGBTQ+ Migrants And Sex Workers
“A journey across two continents and four countries to some of Latin America’s most dangerous places reveals a humanitarian crisis that can no longer be ignored.”
A Dangerous Solo Hike, the Vanishing of Aging Parents, and Our Top 5
“I came to a shack with a small, white-haired man inside. I assumed he had been guarding Devil’s Bridge for centuries. I answered his riddles three and he gestured for me to sign in. At the end of his hand was a damp pile of papers and a pen on a gray string. Like most […]
The Collaborators
“As occupied territories are liberated, some residents face accusations that they sided with the enemy.”
The Perils of Television and Five Brilliant Reads
“This is what interests me about SNL. For almost its entire existence, its workers have been very clear about its costs. From interns to stars, they’ve described the show as an intensely discriminatory workplace run by a cold, manipulative boss. As they’ve told us this, SNL has grown into one of the most important institutions in American culture. ” […]
Under the Wheel
“I have always been drawn to stories about people who try to escape — escape their neighborhoods, their families, their histories — and who instead become what they were running from.”
Spelunking, ET-Hunting, and the Week’s Top 5
“Forgetting is a part of living. This issue of mine is more of an inconvenience and less of a cause for alarm. But an inconvenience it is, and I worry about the future, when my mom is gone, maybe my dad too, and there’s no one to fill in the blanks for me, no more […]


