Our top stories of the week, as chosen by the editors at Longreads.
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Mourning the Low-Rent, Weirdo-Filled East Village of Old
An excerpt of Vanishing New York: How a Great City Lost its Soul, by Jeremiah Moss.
Language Acquisition
Diana Spechler recalls fleeing her life in New York City for a new one with a painter in his village in central Mexico.
Busted
Law enforcement across the U.S. use $2 kits to test for drug possession while out on the field, despite evidence showing that the tests routinely produce false positives. The effect on the lives of the falsely accused and convicted can be devastating.
Longreads Best of 2016: Crime Reporting
We asked a few writers and editors to choose some of their favorite stories of the year in various categories. Here, the best in crime reporting.
Curing My Flight Anxiety, One Book Tour at a Time
Novelist Jami Attenberg discovered a surprise antidote to the anxiety that plagued her each time she had to get on a plane to promote a book.
Pills and Thrills and Daffodils
Years before Prince died of an overdose, his music provided a lifeline for Eva Tenuto.
Judging Books By Their Covers
Jason Diamond analyzes his obsession with Vintage Contemporaries paperbacks from the 80s.
Snow, Death and Politics
While snowed in on the West Coast, Frances Badalamenti grapples alone with her father’s death on the other side of what feels like a dying country.
A High-End Mover Dishes on Truckstop Hierarchy, Rich People, and Moby Dick
On the beauty and burdens of the long haul.

