Nearly half of Americans would have trouble finding $400 to pay for an emergency. Neal Gabler examines his own history of financial mistakes, as well as the inability of many Americans to save money no matter how much they earn, and the rising costs of health care, child care, and education.
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A Trip to Tolstoy Farm
Even if one of the last surviving Tolstoyan communes has fallen short of Leo Tolstoy’s ideals, it’s still turned into something meaningful. It’s a place for people who don’t want to be found.
Nell Battle Lewis, Storyteller for Jim Crow
How an otherwise high-minded social reformer preserved and perpetuated her white supremacist worldview.
Growing Up Around Funeral Homes Didn’t Prepare Me for Death
As the daughter of a funeral director, Jodie Briggs thought she knew all about death. Then her dad almost died.
I Want to Persuade You to Care About Other People
After changing her conservative grandfather’s mind about affirmative action, Danielle Tcholakian commits to trying to get through to people whose politics are very different from her own.
Longreads Best of 2017: Investigative Reporting
We asked writers and editors to choose some of their favorite stories of the year in various categories. Here is the best in investigative reporting.
The Human Cost of the Ghost Economy
Melissa Chadburn goes undercover as a temp worker.
The Human Cost of the Ghost Economy
Melissa Chadburn goes undercover as a temp worker.
A Beast for the Ages
Why do we love (and fear, and kill) polar bears with so much intensity?
We Need to Talk About Money: Seven Stories About Personal Finance
For so long, conversations about money were considered gauche. With every essay and podcast episode, that taboo is broken down.
