As January draws to a close, our favorite stories this week included a stirring critical essay, a paean to the world’s greatest boxed meal, a rethinking of psychedelics’ impact on the planet, a profile of a craftsperson at his peak, and an eye-opener about how humpback whales use air in some unexpected ways. 1. Corky […]
photography
Corky Lee and the Work of Seeing
“Corky Lee’s images do something we do not usually imagine photographs can do. Rather than merely showing the visible, they are portraits of structural forces.”
Ugly Cats and the Loneliness of Man
“‘Pethood’ is a specific lens, one that reveals more about us than it does about the inner lives of the animals we have domesticated.”
The DJ and the War Crimes
“Thirty years after a death squad massacred civilians in Bosnia, none of the infamous Arkan’s Tigers have stood trial for their alleged part in those crimes. And for the past few decades, one of them has been spinning trance records at European festivals and clubs.”
Taro and Mishi Take Manhattan
“The charming tale of how two humble rats made it from Bed-Stuy to become New York magazine cover stars”
Behind the Story: Mailee Osten-Tan on Reporting on Gender Confirmation Surgery in Thailand
Mailee Osten-Tan on learning how to be a better ally to the members of marginalized communities and what she discovered while reporting on trans healthcare issues for Longreads.
The Power of the Still: The Photography Behind the Scenes
There’s an art and process to capturing iconic and marketable images from films. Director Jane Campion and her unit stills photographer Kirsty Griffin — along with David Lowery, Eric Zachanowich, Joachim Trier, and Christian Belgaux — talk about behind-the-scenes photography during the filming of The Power of the Dog. There’s just something about the eye […]
The Girl in the Kent State Photo
“The Kent State Pietà, as it’s sometimes called, is one of those rare photos that fundamentally changed the way we see ourselves and the world around us.”
Screen Memories
“Screenshots are also proof of memory — proof that I was there, online at a moment in time.”
Plastic’s Broken Promise
“The first one I saw was on the path outside my house: a single white plastic glove, the fingers curled inward like a sleeping animal.”