“Maybe the most powerful person is the one who dares to refuse the gift.”
Irina Dumitrescu
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
This week, we’re sharing stories from Daniel Engber, Sara Reinis, James Dolan, Irina Dumitrescu, and Amelia Tait.
How to Learn Everything: The MasterClass Diaries
A professor embarks on a six-month binge of celebrity-led online courses.
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
This week, we’re sharing stories from Mitchell S. Jackson, Nikole Hannah-Jones, Melissa Fay Greene, Luke Harding, and Irina Dumitrescu.
Someone is Wrong on the Internet: A Study in Pandemic Distraction
What do you do when all productivity hacks, parenting tips, and writing tricks lead to the same outcome — a total, pandemic-induced inability to focus?
The Function and Language of Ancient Sexual Texts
A fascinating look at so-called obscenity, then and now.
Teaching Writing and Breaking Rules
Rules can ruin the kind of exciting language that makes literature rewarding, but some rules also enhance writing. It’s challenging to find the middle ground.
A Close Look at the Thing We Call ‘Celebrity’
Why do we care about famous people?
Reading Lessons
You never stop learning how to read — probably because you also never stop forgetting how to read.
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
This week, we’re sharing stories from May Jeong, Leslie Jamison, Irina Dumitrescu, Barbara Ehrenreich, and Matt Wake.