“Calvin Gimpelevich writes on the history and politics of public bathrooms.”
public space
Posted inEditor's Pick
The Rhythms of “Rock Creek Park”
“The Blackbyrds’ ode to DC inspired a new generation of artists.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
No Entry
“In America, whether we can swim — and whether we have access to water at all — is closely tied to race.”
Posted inReading List
Come One, Come All: A Reading List on Parks
The drama within our public spaces.
Posted inFeature
Safety Net
These days, when you work as a librarian in America, there is no lack of emergencies.
Posted inCuration, Nonfiction, Top 5
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
This week, our editors recommend stories by Yessenia Funes, Carl Elliott, Courtney Shea, Jillian Steinhauer, and Ed Simon.
Posted inEditor's Pick
Reading Detroit in a Season of Mourning
“It was during the lockdown bike rides that I started to register this language of landscape as expressed in Detroit. There is a power in these markers of non-instrumental processes, which metabolize what was, and give it new life and new form. It is all beautiful, yes, and the forsythias in April were everywhere and […]
Posted inEditor's Pick
Where Did All the Public Bathrooms Go?
“For decades, U.S. cities have been closing or neglecting public restrooms, leaving millions with no place to go. Here’s how a lack of toilets became an American affliction.”