Senior Editor at Longreads Brendan’s writing has appeared at Smithsonian, Literary Hub, and The Morning News, where he wrote the “Press Pause” column. From 2016 through 2022, he was senior editor of Columbia Journalism Review. He is interested in narrative features and essays, particularly those that involve reporting. The subject could be almost anything, so long as […]
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Best of 2025
Welcome to December, readers! Once again, we’re revisiting the favorite nonfiction stories that defined our year—the pieces that moved us, reframed our thinking, or even nudged us to action. Each week, it’s a joy to read and recommend writing that lingers long after we’ve closed our tabs. This year-end collection celebrates the most thoughtful storytelling […]
Posted inEditor's Pick
The All-American Father
“I said that he’d been a wonderful father, the best I could have asked for … I both did and didn’t believe this.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
My Grandpa, the Fascist?
“An old family album sent me on a journey through Italy’s dark past in Libya.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
Cool Enchantment
“The ad is seductive but transparent. We don’t believe the copy but appreciate its innocence.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
Echoic Memory
“I am a person of ground. This is not to say grounded, but of earth, attached to the earth.”
Posted inEssays & Criticism
Finding Worth Among the Echoes
Faded music dreams, a fledgling family farm, and a search for new definitions of work and success.
Posted inEditor's Pick
“It’s Time to Play Ball, British Style”
“A hot dog, a Pimm’s cup and two national anthems: The cultural dissonance of watching America’s pastime in London.”
