“In North Carolina, a Black farmer purchased the plantation where his ancestors were enslaved— and is reclaiming his family’s story, his community’s health, and the soil beneath his feet.”
The Bitter Southerner
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
Showcasing stories from Ryu Spaeth, Kit Chellel, Dave Eggers, Holly Haworth, and John Semley.
Woman in the Woods
“To me, the woods are an intricate tapestry in which I always try to see the bigger picture.”
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
Recommending excellent stories by Charlotte Higgins, Lex Pryor, Michael Hardy, Elissa Altman, and Brad Phillips.
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
Recommending notable stories by J.K. Nickell, Conor Niland, Wendell Brock and Paul Kwilecki, Ally Jarmanning, and Drew Magary.
The Only Home He Ever Knew
“Today, photo geeks the world over consider Paul Kwilecki a master of the documentary form.”
Best of 2023: Profiles
The profiles we loved in 2023 cover a Uvalde mom turned gun-control advocate, Ginni and Clarence Thomas, a love letter to Louisiana and two unrelated women born there in 1953, the man behind the Twitter persona “Dril,” and an underdog surfer nicknamed “Casual Luke.”
My Favorite Restaurant Served Gas
“They’d sit in the front cab of a raggedy Ford listening to a Tina Turner tape. I’d sit in the back, next to burnt orange pine needles, a few broken lawnmowers, and all forms of rust.”
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
Featuring stories from Jenisha Watts, Aymann Ismail and Mary Harris, Elizabeth Kolbert, Wyatt Williams, and Jackson Wald.
Lucinda Williams and the Idea of Louisiana
“But if you asked for an explanation why I love this place, the only answer would be just the same as why I hate it.”
