20 Years Later: Little Brother, “The Minstrel Show”
Like minstrelsy, Little Brother’s album shows you one hand, convinces you of one thing, while something else works behind the scenes.
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The Eloquent Vindicator in the Electric Room
No one remembers the assassination of Congressman James M. Hinds. What do we risk by making it just another part of American history?
The Worst Air Disaster You’ve Never Heard Of
“In the early days of flight, airships were hailed as the future of war. Then disaster struck the USS Akron.”
99 Problems: The Ice Cream Truck’s Surprising History
From crime panics to TikTok, summer’s favorite vehicle has driven a bumpy road.
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Weekly Top 5
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
Recommending stories from Ivy Knight; David Enrich, Matthew Goldstein, and Jessica Silver-Greenberg; Eva Holland; John DeVore; and Nathaniel Rich.
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
Recommending stories from Viola Zhou, Mina Tavakoli, Stephanie Krzywonos, Maggie Millner, and Joe Hagan.
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
Showcasing stories from Eric McHenry, Michael W. Clune, Patrick Galbraith, Jay Miller, and Harley Rustad.
Essays and Features
Beloved Bother
A typo in my great-uncle’s obituary held the key to understanding him.
The Mostly True Story of America’s First Black Private Investigator
He made his name in Chicago investigating racial violence, solving crimes, and exposing corruption. But America’s first Black private detective was hiding secrets of his own.
Cracking the Family Codes
A stash of encrypted diaries raises questions about the secrets we carry, and how they are revealed.
Thank You for Finding Me
As a teenager, I met a stranger who changed the course of my life. Twenty years later, I went looking for him.
Disneyland of the Dead
London’s Highgate Cemetery shows us just how hard it is to keep the dead buried.
Bread and Honey
Sometimes, marriage is about learning how to braid the bitter with the sweet.
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Reading Lists
Science Cheats: A Reading List on Unscrupulous Scientists
Six stories on the shady side of scholarship.
Dimes, Dunks, and Devotion: A Basketball Reading List
Seven essays that go beyond the box score.
Fleeing Family: A Reading List on Estrangement
Seven stories highlighting the perspective of estranged adult children.
Kingdom of Funga: A Mycelial Reading List on a Strange and Surreal World Around Us
Seven stories celebrating the kingdom of funga’s beauty and power.
Suspended Falling: A Reading List on Walking
After seven million years of evolution, walking feels as natural as breathing. But as our environments evolve, so do our ways of walking through them.
What’s Your Type? A Reading List on Typefaces with Wild Tales to Tell
Seven stories exploring our love affair with type.
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