Five stories that explore the risks and rewards of life’s little hurdles.
The New York Times
Posted inEditor's Pick
The Last Straw
“Inside the tiny community of English master thatchers, a fight is unfolding over a tradition that may not survive.”
Posted inTop 5
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
Recommending notable stories by Wyatt Williams, John Leland, Jonathan Weiner, Suzy Hansen, and Max Ufberg.
Posted inEditor's Pick
How Three Chess Friends Battled Demons and Saved Two Lives
“A homeless chess hustler, a scholar and an aging recluse found hope in a trashed apartment by Central Park.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
Short Naps, Long Hours: How Autism Clinics Squeeze Medicaid Dollars Out of Preschoolers
“The industry has grown rapidly, straining state budgets. A focus on finances has led to overbilling, fraud and even harm.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
Their Ancestor Was an Enslaved Potter. They Are Battling to Recover His Legacy.
“The descendants of David Drake learned who he was 10 years ago. They see his jars as his artistic and spiritual inheritance—and their own.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
The Great Ozempic Experiment
“It’s a new era of D.I.Y. medicine. Now the health establishment needs to catch up.”
Posted inCuration
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
In this edition: a father’s grief; a commuter’s concern; a decision’s consequences; a teen’s hobby; and a sports fan’s hidden haven.
Posted inEditor's Pick
A New Jersey Teen Finds Treasure, and More, in Abandoned Storage Units
“Michael Haskell, 17, set out to make some money from his locker dives. He ended up learning about life.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
Rebecca Solnit Says the Left’s Next Hero Is Already Here
“I remain hopeful partly as defiance.”