Two-panel collage with "The Enduring Wild" book cover on left and a black and white portrait of author Josh Jackson on right

The Edge of Emptiness

Lena Rowat skied 1,600 grueling miles across the Coast Range to quiet her demons. But she didn’t begin to silence them until tragedy struck.

Weekly Top 5

The Top 5 Longreads of the Week

Recommending stories from Archie Bland, Elizabeth Bruenig, Anat Rubin, Dexter Thomas, and Elena Gosalvez Blanco.

The Top 5 Longreads of the Week

Showcasing stories from Katya Apekina, Jonathan W. Rosen, Robert Sanchez, Eric Levitz, and Natalie Marlin.

The Top 5 Longreads of the Week

Recommending notable stories by Andy Greenberg, Michelle Orange, John Jeremiah Sullivan, Jefferson Mao, and Will Steinfeld.

Editors’ Picks

I Write Eulogies, Not Tragedies

Alex Taylor |The Fence | June 9, 2025 | 1, 603 words

“When he was a student, this writer peddled paeans from his dorm room.”

Inside Job

Kathryn Blaze Baum and Alexandra Posadzki | The Globe and Mail | June 13, 2025 | 4,911 words

“When an account gets hacked, social media giant Meta offers little support, spawning a shadowy network of brokers and Meta employees who profit from helping them get back online.”

The Gravekeeper’s Paradox

David Shultz | Nautilus | March 4, 2015 | 2,379 words

“People want permanent tombstones that also show decay.”

The Blind Leading the Gamers

Dexter Thomas | Wired | June 11, 2025 | 4,368 words

“Ross Minor lost his eyesight at 8 years old. Today, he’s a hardcore gamer who runs YouTube and Twitch channels and consults for big studios. This is not—necessarily—an inspirational story.”

The Man Who Unsolved a Murder

Anat Rubin | CalMatters | June 5, 2025 | 5,954 words

“If you’re accused of a crime, will someone investigate your side of the story? In California, there’s no guarantee.”

Conversations With Claude

Robert Saltzman | The Hedgehog Review | May 28, 2025 | 2,669 words

“What a psychotherapist learned during his chats with a large language model.”

Inside America’s Death Chambers

Elizabeth Bruenig | The Atlantic | June 9, 2025 | 7,414 words

“What years of witnessing executions taught me about sin, mercy, and the possibility of redemption.”

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Essays and Features

The Bad Thing

Sometimes the most haunting part of trauma isn’t what happened—it’s wondering what could have happened if you hadn’t trusted your gut.

How to Scam Like a Celebrity

“His alleged victims say he bribed New York Police Department officials, stole millions in diamonds, and persuaded Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Kim Kardashian to shill for a scam cryptocurrency. So why is Jona Rechnitz still free?”

Well Without Water

Haunted by a running tap in prison, a man grows obsessed with water waste and climate change, pushing him to the edge.

The Race That Turned to Ruin

“Fifteen teams lifted off from Switzerland in gas ballooning’s most audacious race. Three days later, two of them drifted into Belarusian airspace—but only one would survive.”

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Reading Lists

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All of our year-end lists, since 2011.

Favorite stories from across the web, picked by Longreads staff, guest curators, and readers.