In this edition: the appeal of the surreal, decoding AI dreck, goop relations, learning to think, and pigeon racing pitfalls
Boston Review
The Claims of Close Reading
“Literary studies have been starved by austerity, but their core methodology remains radical.”
Ten Outstanding Short Stories to Read in 2025
Kickstart your reading year with 10 short stories selected by longtime contributor Pravesh Bhardwaj.
To Whom Does the World Belong?
“The legal battles over AI currently playing out—and the large number still to come—may profoundly impact the balance of wealth and power in countless democracies in the decades ahead.”
“I Would Prefer Not To.”
Judith Levine, co-founder of the National Writers Union explains how an 1863 Herman Melville novella might be the key to contemporary political resistance.
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
Below, our favorite stories of the week. Kindle users, you can also get them as a Readlist. Sign up to receive this list free every Friday in your inbox. * * *
Longreads Member Exclusive: Deconstructing Mare Island
This week, we have a Longreads Member Exclusive recommended by one of our members, Boston Review Web Editor David V. Johnson. His pick is Richard White‘s ”Deconstructing Mare Island: Reconnaissance in the Ruins,” published in Boom: A Journal of California. Here’s an intro from David: Eureka! Boom: A Journal of California launched in the Spring of 2011. The quality of writing and […]
Longreads Member Exclusive: Deconstructing Mare Island
This week, we have a Longreads Member Exclusive recommended by one of our members, Boston Review Web Editor David V. Johnson. His pick is Richard White‘s ”Deconstructing Mare Island: Reconnaissance in the Ruins,” published in Boom: A Journal of California. Here’s an intro from David: Eureka! Boom: A Journal of California launched in the Spring of 2011. The quality of writing and […]
[Fiction] A student juggles the present and the future: The future is messy. Scott’s senses feed him all possible futures at once. He’s learned to wander only a few seconds ahead. That’s close, but it’s still not normal. This man, though, is a relief to his senses. He makes everything clean. Scott wonders for how […]
