Once upon a time, I wanted to be a doctor. Never mind my terrible grades in all things science. Never mind that I decided this in my second year of college, after deciding that the music school that I’d wanted for years wasn’t for me. It was 2006. It was the age of Dr. Gregory […]
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Failure To Lawn
On what a dying patch of turfgrass can teach us about water scarcity, ecological repair, and the lies we tell ourselves about success.
Stories of Quarantine and Upheaval: A Reading List on the Power of Personal Narrative
During times of isolation and dramatic change, our stories from around the world are an essential global historical record.Â
My Unlikely Existence
Is AI helping prospective parents game the fertility lottery? Should it?
Pondering Parenthood, Meals for One, and Five Excellent Reads
“When faced with a dilemma I can’t solve, my usual strategy is to read. I order a bunch of books and immerse myself in other people’s experiences. It allows my thoughts to coalesce around a few themes; from there, I can see where I agree and where I diverge. To paraphrase Joan Didion, I read […]
Fleeing Family: A Reading List on Estrangement
Seven stories highlighting the perspective of estranged adult children.
The Unseen Scars of Those Who Kill Via Remote Control
A devastating, well-reported story on the drone program of the U.S. Air Force and the lack of mental-health support for drone operators. Because they were not deployed, they seldom got the same recovery periods or mental-health screenings as other fighters. Instead they were treated as office workers, expected to show up for endless shifts in […]
Braindump: A Reading List on the Future of Sanitation, Toilets, and Bathrooms
“On the future of toilets and bathrooms, and innovation across the field of sanitation and waste management.”
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
In this edition: Bear bones, outstanding Outkast, Brightline’s brutality, lasting lunches, ruin ruminations, and more.
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
Recommending stories by Alice Hines, Maggie Harrison Dupré, Katie Engelhart, Pooja Bhatia, and Tom Lamont.


