A heart-wrenching look at how different families deal with grief and forgiveness after a tragedy. It wasn’t Parker after all; it was Xavier. Because of their similar builds, bleached-blond hair, and physical trauma, the two young men had been mixed up. Parker’s family had been holding vigil at the bedside of another family’s son.
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The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
Recommending excellent stories by Tony Ho Tran, Rachel Aviv, Ariel Saramandi, Theo Lipsky, and Inori Roy.
Stories on Shady Science (and Our Top 5)
“On one hand, it’s critical to root out research fraud and serious errors. On the other hand, highlighting the most dramatic outliers risks creating the impression that science as a whole can’t be trusted.” When I told my 7-year-old daughter that the recent viral clip of bunnies jumping on a trampoline was fake, she looked […]
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
The April 12 edition features stories by Stephanie McCrummen, Mark Warren, Trina Moyles, Laura Preston, and Jack King.
An Autism Diagnosis at 35, and Our Top 5 Reads
“Finally bearing witness to my own life has been significantly more healing than medications or therapy. Every prescribed medication has had unendurable side effects. Therapy gives me brutal anxiety. But that’s okay. I’m finding peace just by envisioning myself through a forgiving lens.” Welcome to the weekend! April is Autism Awareness Month, so this week, […]
Best of 2022: Features
As part of Best of Longreads, our annual labor of love, we pored over all the stories we’ve picked in 2022 to create these year-end lists. The following features all embody the strong voice and excellent writing that made us fall in love with narrative journalism. Sweeping, hard-hitting, and emotional, each immerses us in a […]
30 Years Later: Groove Theory, “Groove Theory”
“Groove Theory” tries to make the work of staying in love feel as easy as possible, even when it isn’t.
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
This week, we’re sharing stories from Wright Thompson, Mitch Moxley, Patrick Radden Keefe, Joshua Sokol, and Ariane Todes.
I Tried to Forget My Whole Life. I’m Glad I Failed.
The hindsight of an adulthood autism diagnosis.
Stumbling Can Be Lovely
On the many ways we fall—and the beauty of getting back up.


