Featuring stories by Willa Köerner, Robyn Ross, Ariel Sabar, Julian Lucas, and Dan Moore.
The Ringer
The Spiritual Realm of Sydney McLaughlin
“The 400-meter hurdles world-record holder is once again on the cusp of Olympic glory. To get there, she had to find transcendence—both on and away from the track.”
The Wild West of NBA Jump Balls
“Basketball’s most iconic tradition is also one of its oldest and most curious events, characterized by the same foggy rule interpretations, quirky styles, and chicanery as the first jump balls ever tossed.”
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.”
“In My Mind I Was Already Gone”: The Endless End of Outkast
“Twenty years after the release of ‘Speakerboxxx’/’The Love Below,’ we chart how the creation of André 3000 and Big Boi’s fifth studio album became the start of Outkast’s ending.”
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
This week we are sharing stories from Janell Ross, Jude Isabella, Arthur Asseraf, Lex Pryor, and Diane Mehta.
America’s Bee Problem Is an Us Problem
“Beekeepers went away for vacation and returned to depleted hives. Entire apiaries collapsed in the span of weeks.”
The Jerk Aficionados
“Playing a sleazy, blustering buffoon the audience loves takes skill—just ask Adam Scott, Ben Stiller, or Julia Louis-Dreyfus.”
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
This week, we’re highlighting stories by Meagan Gillmore, Teju Cole, Maureen Ryan, Katie Baker, and Imogen West-Knights.
The True Power of ‘Succession’ Comes From Writing Inside the Box
“The HBO show was known for witty jabs and f-word-laden insults. But perhaps its biggest achievement was ending on its own terms—and its writing through lines along the way.”
