“Fifteen teams lifted off from Switzerland in gas ballooning’s most audacious race. Three days later, two of them drifted into Belarusian airspace—but only one would survive.”
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Ten Outstanding Short Stories to Read in 2022
Longtime contributor Pravesh Bhardwaj read and shared 276 short stories on the #longreads Twitter hashtag in 2021. Here are his favorites.
99 Problems: The Ice Cream Truck’s Surprising History
From crime panics to TikTok, summer’s favorite vehicle has driven a bumpy road.
There’s Gold in the Hills
In the wide, quiet spaces of BLM land, I heard echoes of a past we’ve buried—and a future we still might save.
Letter from Manhattan 2

On trying to be a “world citizen”—and how expat life rarely delivers on its promises.
Where Miracles Exist for the Weekend
An unlikely journey of marriage, faith, and doubt in the Jaliscan highlands.
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
This week we’re highlighting stories from Tom Lamont, Charlotte Alter, DĹľenana Vucic, John Paul Scotto, and Devin Friedman.
Chaos and Cosmic Order: The Year of the Dragon
Grace Loh Prasad on trying to make it home in time for Lunar New Year.
Final Girl, Terrible Place
I was expecting a handy theory. What I found was a way of seeing that would help me decode a script I’d been stuck in for much of my life.
A Boozy Buddy Comedy and This Week’s Top 5
“I wanted to write stories. Mark wanted to live them. I’ve never stopped seeking achievement and he’s never stopped seeking places to go, the Peter Pan to my Wendy. He even married a flight attendant, mostly for love, but also for the free plane tickets that allow him to join me for book festivals, readings, […]


