“There is a fine line between losing yourself and finding your deepest truths.”
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A Year in Reading: When We Are Redefined
From bull rides to military parades, the world transforms us in surprising ways. The best stories get close enough to document our transformation.
Experiences in Groups
“The more you can perceive, the more choice you will have about how to respond.”
Holograms of the Holocaust (and Our Top 5)
“Over many decades, my grandmother gave responses to thousands of questions, wrote tens of thousands of words, and spoke for hours and hours while tapes rolled. She would be, in other words, the perfect candidate for AI reanimation.” In my household, the transition from summer to fall has been tough. Lately, to help my daughter […]
Quitting Xanax: One Writer’s Story
“The pill worked like magic, ease spreading through me pleasantly until I felt normal again.”
Odd Birds
“In an era where gender identity and sexual orientation can get you a beating by bullies or shot dead in a nightclub, writer Shane Mitchell celebrates otherness — and a great-aunt who lived her life with courage and gusto.”
Longreads Needs You, Reader
“Stories matter. And in a moment when people so rarely take the time to think before they speak, they matter more than ever.” Hi there, It’s pretty rare for us to send out an email that isn’t our Weekly Top 5 newsletter. In fact, I think the last one was almost a year ago. But […]
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
Featuring stories from Ed Park, Rachel Kushner, Will Tavlin, Michaela Cavanagh, and S.C. Gwynne.
The Adoption Paradox
“You could call it a life sentence, for this is the moment in which I learn that I am adopted.”


