“Ever since that monologue—you know the one—everyone knows who the legendary scene-stealer is. Still, his appetite for taking risks means he’ll never stop surprising us.”
profiles
Posted inTop 5
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
In this edition:
• A pair of aces
• Room for growth
• Still a-maze-ing
• Wheel of misfortune
• The road less traveled
Posted inEditor's Pick
Consider the Sister
“Amy Wallace has spent two decades guarding the human her brother was—against a world that prefers David Foster Wallace as a puzzle.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
She Knows a Place
“For seven decades, the gospel singer Mavis Staples has troubled the opposition between chorus and soloist, background and lead.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
Playing Santa Does Strange Things to a Man. What It Did to Bob Rutan Was Even Stranger.
“Bob Rutan is legendary among the tight-knit fraternity of Macy’s Santa Clauses. Like many of these men, playing Santa changed Bob. Profoundly. His story is one of struggle and failure, heartbreak and grace and—yes—the magic of Christmas.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
The Story John Darnielle Lived to Tell
“When he was a teenager, the Mountain Goats founder never expected to make it to 21. He has since become one of this century’s best songwriters. The lessons of his survival, life, and work feel endless.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
The (Mostly) True Story of Galveston’s Legendary Deaf Lifeguard
“LeRoy Colombo was a champion swimmer and even landed in the Guinness Book of World Records. But his legacy is complicated.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
She Was a Quiet Bird Expert. Then She Was Called to Investigate a Murder in Maine.
“How a mild-mannered scientist named Roxie Laybourne created the field of forensic ornithology.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
Oprah Shamed James Frey. He’s Back Anyway.
“Twenty years after A Million Little Pieces became a national scandal, James Frey is ready for a new audience.”