excerpt Archives - Longreads

Allison and Todd Barcelona lean against the rail of a ferry on the Mississippi River, the wake trailing behind the boat.

How to Run 314 Miles After a Traumatic Brain Injury

by Longreads July 9, 2024August 1, 2024

After a horrific accident, doctors told Todd Barcelona that he’d likely never race again. So he and his wife decided to run farther than they ever had before.

Feature

True Crime, Jersey Shore Style

by Longreads October 5, 2023June 5, 2024

How I (possibly) solved a cold case on my summer vacation.

Feature

Inside the World of Nigerian “Yahoo Boys”

by Longreads July 11, 2023June 5, 2024

Could Carlos Barragán find the person who conned his mother?

On the Trail of the Dark Avenger

by Seyward Darby May 10, 2023May 10, 2023

“Bulgaria in the 1980s became known as the ‘virus factory’, where hundreds of malicious computer programs were unleashed to wreak havoc. But who was writing them, and why?”

abstract black and red illustration of a human figure in upright fetal position with a YouTube arrow on top of the body silhouette

Nonfiction

The Squad

by Longreads February 7, 2023March 3, 2023

A harrowing deep dive into the world of “kidfluencers.”

Pencil treatment of a photograph of a woman in a long dress, juxtaposed over a pencil drawing of a downtown street in a European city.

Curation

The Easiest Thing First

by Brendan O'Meara December 19, 2022December 15, 2022

As host of The Creative Nonfiction Podcast, Brendan O’Meara is no stranger to talking about the art and craft of storytelling. In this craft-focused excerpt, we’re digging into Episode 345, in which he interviewed Atavist editor Seyward Darby and freelance writer Sarah Souli about her work on the latest issue of The Atavist. Writing long […]

Feature

Heroes of the Hurricane

by Longreads November 2, 2022November 2, 2022

When a storm surge swept dozens of wild horses and cattle from the coast of North Carolina, no one expected there to be survivors. Then hoofprints appeared in the sand.

A sailboat lists at sea, the sun low over the horizon

Feature

The Rhythm of Writing: A Chat with the Writer and Editor Behind The Atavist’s New Issue

by Brendan O'Meara October 17, 2022November 8, 2022

As host of The Creative Nonfiction Podcast, Brendan O’Meara is no stranger to talking about the art and craft of storytelling. In this craft-focused excerpt, we’re digging into Episode 336, in which he interviewed Atavist editor Jonah Ogles and freelance writer Cassidy Randall about her work on the latest issue of The Atavist. Cassidy Randall, a freelance writer based out […]