“How China’s electric vehicle boom is ravaging the environment in neighboring Indonesia.”
nonfiction
A Championship Season in Mariachi Country
“Every year along the Texas border, high school teams battle it out in one of the nation’s most intense championship rivalries. But they’re not playing football.”
‘How Many Women Were Abused to Make That Tesla?’
“Seven women are suing the Elon Musk-led company, alleging sexual harassment.”
Joan Didion’s Magic Trick
Caitlin Flanagan goes on a road trip through California — including Sacramento, Berkeley, and Malibu — visiting the homes of the late Joan Didion and exploring why her writing has had such a powerful effect on people. Slouching Towards Bethlehem and The White Album created a new vocabulary of essay writing, one whose influence is […]
Celebrating 13 Years of Longreads
Ten favorite Longreads originals, as selected by the editors.
The Easter Island Schoolteacher Who Sparked a Revolution
The remarkable story of a freedom struggle on a tiny island in the South Pacific.
The Strange, True Story of John Williams and Charles Pennock
“In the early 1900s it wasn’t unusual for men to suddenly go missing. Among them were two accomplished bird experts whose lives turned out to be surprisingly intertwined.”
My Father, the Hitman
“Doc Dolan was connected to the JFK assassination and some of Benny Binion’s bloodier work. When I was a kid, he pulled a con on me that I’m still struggling to understand.”
52 Years in 11 Days: A Son, Facing Death, Finds His Father
“After struggling with cancer for years, Sam Anthony was running out of time. Before he died, he found the courage to mail a letter that he had long been afraid to send.”
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
Our editors share five favorites, just in time for your weekend.