Susan Sheu considers her estrangement from her conservative mom, who tried to teach her to stand up and be heard in a male-dominated world — but not to be too unladylike about it.
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Posted inEditor's Pick, Essays & Criticism, Nonfiction
My Father’s Adventure Was My Terror
With the decision to take his 13-year-old daughter on a dangerous drive to Peshawar, Diana Whitney’s charismatic father became a regular fallible human in her eyes.
Posted inReading List
Adventures in Solitude: A Reading List
Being alone, free of distraction, can be both a writer’s dream and a nightmare.
Posted inEssays & Criticism, Nonfiction
How Much is Too Much to Save a Dying Cat?
A series of losses prompts s.e. smith to wonder why, if it’s inevitable, we tend to view death as failure.
Posted inCurrent Events, Nonfiction, Standout, Story
David Brown’s Quiet Resilience
The former Dallas police chief is familiar with loss: Violence took his son, younger brother, and former partner. His response to the killing of five officers last July was inspiring. He’s not done giving back.
Posted inBooks, Reading List
Longreads Best of 2016: Under-Recognized Books
We asked our contributors to tell us about a few books they felt deserved more recognition in 2016. Here they are.
Posted inEditor's Pick, Essays & Criticism, Nonfiction
Judging Books By Their Covers
Jason Diamond analyzes his obsession with Vintage Contemporaries paperbacks from the 80s.
Posted inEditor's Pick, Essays & Criticism, Nonfiction
Helping My Son Choose Between the Cub Scouts and His Beliefs about God
Kate Abbott thought the Cub Scouts would be a great place for her son to make friends. Then they came across the ‘Duty to God’ requirements.
Posted inFirst Chapters, Nonfiction, Story
One Man’s Quest For His Vinyl and His Past
Motivated by seller’s regret and nostalgia, a journalist goes in search of the vinyl of his youth. And not just copies of albums he loved—he wants the exact records he owned and sold.
Posted inEssays & Criticism, Nonfiction, Story, Unapologetic Women
I Was a 9-Year-Old Playboy Bunny
After longing to be a sex-symbol as a child, Shannon Lell grapples with a lifetime of self-objectification.
