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Unknown Costs

Forty-three million Americans need substance addiction treatment, but only a tiny fraction receive it. We know why.

by Wilson M. Sims

Editors’ Picks

I Never Called Her Momma

Jenisha Watts | The Atlantic | September 13, 2023 | 11,129 words

“I always saw crack as the source of my family’s problems. But I learned that addiction went back in our family long before the crack epidemic—as did poverty and neglect.”

Peak Badu

Casey Gerald | The Cut | Septemeber 11, 2023 | 3,971 words

“She’s a Fashion Week standout who rejects the notion that clothes should define you. Come join a four-hour phone call with Erykah Badu.”

The Kid Stays in the Picture

Megan Michelson | Outside | September 13, 2023 | 3,826 words

“Max Lowe made a big splash in 2021 with ‘Torn,’ a documentary about the death of his famous father, alpinist Alex Lowe, and how it shook and shaped his family.”

Lucinda Williams and the Idea of Louisiana

Wyatt Williams | The Bitter Southerner | September 4, 2023 | 6,303 words

“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.”

The Sea Eagles That Returned to Mull

Emma Marris | Hakai Magazine | September 12, 2023 | 3,900 words

“Almost 50 years ago, conservationists reintroduced white-tailed eagles to Scotland. It’s gone well. Some say too well.”

Who Deserves to Eat at Noma?

Jason Stewart | Taste | September 12, 2023 | 2,940

“A visit to the hus that Redzepi built presents 18 meticulous plates of food, and a few lingering questions to wash it all down with.”

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Essays and Features

Who’s Afraid of Lorne Michaels?

Very rarely can we see an entire system reflected in one person. The creator and executive producer of “Saturday Night Live” is such a person.
by Seth Simons

Taken and Told

A filmmaker was producing a documentary series on the Iran hostage crisis. Then her father went missing overseas.
by Longreads

Ron’s Place

A man’s death revealed his secret masterpiece—his rented home, illegally transformed into a classical villa. What happened next questions how we define art.
by Max Olesker

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Reading Lists

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Our year-end collection

All the top #longreads of 2022, selected by our editors, featured authors, and readers.

Read our picks