As a teenager, I met a stranger who changed the course of my life. Twenty years later, I went looking for him.
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The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
Notable stories on chasing manhood, naming Gaza’s dead, searching the stacks for a rare book, leaving music behind, and opting out.
We Failed Amy Winehouse
“Dead for over a decade, the iconic singer-songwriter has never gotten the same due as her male counterparts.”
Let Go of Your Ego: A Reading List on Brian Wilson and “Pet Sounds”
Let’s go away for awhile and reflect on the genius of Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys’ 1966 album “Pet Sounds.” Wouldn’t it be nice?
What If This Is It: Will Huey Lewis Sing Again?
‘The music went away slowly and then all at once. So what if it never comes back? “I haven’t allowed myself to go there yet,” Huey says, worry in his voice.’
To Guiltless Pleasures
Ideas of propriety or coolness are the killer of dreams.
An Age of Wonder (and Our Top 5)
Parenting lessons at a science museum, Catholic anti-war raiders, R. O. Kwon, and our top 5 reads of the week.
On (the) Sublime
When we reach for our limits, what is it that we ultimately grasp?
Belting out Songs and Our Top 5
“There’s something about losing yourself in a communal experience that’s immensely appealing in this age of virtual meetings and not-so-social media. We want to see the artists we love in person. We want to believe they’re singing directly to us.” Elizabeth Blackwell, a regular commentator on cultural phenomena (check out her Reality TV and Pivotal […]
20 Years Later: Little Brother, “The Minstrel Show”
Like minstrelsy, Little Brother’s album shows you one hand, convinces you of one thing, while something else works behind the scenes.


