We asked writers and editors to choose some of their favorite stories of the year in various categories. Here is the best in profiles.
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Going All In: An Oral History of ‘Rounders’
“How two first-time screenwriters, a guy from Montana, and a pair of up-and-coming movie stars made the greatest poker movie ever.”
‘We Changed Culture’: An Oral History of Vibe Magazine
Conversations with key players in the history of Quincy Jones-founded Vibe Magazine.
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
This week, we’re sharing stories from Prachi Gupta, Tess McClure, Anna Wiener, Ismail Muhammad, and Alex McLevy.
Don’t Let It ‘Go’ Away: The Frantic, Furious Making of a Cult Movie Classic
Twenty years after its release, director Doug Liman, screenwriter John August, and others recall the production of their 1999 indie film Go.
Lightning, Struck: How an Atlanta Neighborhood Died on the Altar of Super Bowl Dreams
Thirty years ago, the entire community of Lightning, in Atlanta’s west side, was destroyed to build the Georgia Dome. This oral history, told by the residents that were displaced, compiles the stories and memories of a long-gone neighborhood.
Seeding a Dark World with New Life
As she’s done before, Sara B. Franklin greets the specter of death by defiantly planting a life-sustaining vegetable garden.
‘A Beautiful Contagion’: Anthony Bourdain
“I just think it’s lonelier without him in the world.”
Little Bits of Paper Everywhere: An Oral History of Snipehunt Magazine and Kathy Molloy
Between 1988 and 1997, a vast network of volunteers and freelance writers designed, published and distributed an independent culture magazine called Snipehunt in Portland, Oregon. It. Then it abruptly ended and its charistmatic editor disappeared.
Hard Shell Tacos Aren’t As Hardcore Gringo As You Think
The origins of hard shell tacos are hazy, but certain things are clear.

