In this Field of Orbs
“Like a good independent woman, I contain multitudes but never the ones I’ve drawn for myself.”
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The Specters on Screen, The Monsters Among Us: An October Longreads Collection
In this Halloween-inspired reading list, dip into stories of monsters and ghosts, both literal and metaphorical.
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
Notable reads by Marco Giancotti, Jessica Davey-Quantick, Reeves Wiedman, Emily Fox Kaplan, and C Pam Zhang.
Imperial Eras: A Taylor Swift Studies Reading List
How Taylor Swift reflects every possible version of ourselves.
Editors’ Picks
Essays and Features
True Crime, Jersey Shore Style
How I (possibly) solved a cold case on my summer vacation.
Fast Times on America’s Slowest Train
A surreal train ride between Chicago and New Orleans proves that Amtrak still has a lot to offer. (Not including speed or the food.)
I Remember Arthur
A writer examines his own depression and suicidal ideation after losing an enigmatic friend and a deeply personal book draft.
A Hand From One Page, A Bomb From Another: Rethinking “Spy vs. Spy”
The iconic comic seems simple at first glance, but its revolutionary sensibility has proven impossible to replicate.
Unknown Costs
Forty-three million Americans need substance addiction treatment, but only a tiny fraction receive it. We know why.
Into the Devil’s Jaw
How a a wrong turn led to the largest peacetime disaster in American naval history.
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Reading Lists
Librarians on the Front Lines: A Reading List for Library Lovers and Realists
Increasingly, being a librarian is less and less about books and more and more about community survival.
The Parent Dilemma: Should I Have a Child?
Clare Egan doesn’t know if she wants kids. Will this reading list help?
Bomb the Multiplex: A ‘Barbenheimer’ Reading List
With people turning a shared release date into a meme-fueled double feature, we rounded up our favorite reads about 2023’s oddest duo.
Read ’Em and Weep: A Reading List for Criers
Grab your handkerchief and get ready for the waterworks.
Watch the Skies: A UFO Believers Reading List
Amid a new flurry of media coverage, we revisit some of our favorite stories about ufologists and close encounters.
Working on the Edge: A Reading List About Extreme Jobs
A livelihood is not a life—yet many risk the latter in order to create the former.
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