How to Observe
Searching for ritual during a season of mystery.
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When the Hit Man Starts Talking
“A former FBI agent traveled to Louisiana to ask a hired killer about a murder that haunted him. Then they started talking about a different case altogether.”
The Emoji Tongue
If 😂 was a word, would that make emoji a language?
There’s Gold in the Hills
In the wide, quiet spaces of BLM land, I heard echoes of a past we’ve buried—and a future we still might save.
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Weekly Top 5
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
Recommending excellent stories from Lewis Hyde, Reeves Wiedeman, Sam Myers, Robin Wall Kimmerer, and David W. Brown.
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
Recommending stories from Alyssa Roenigk, Rachel Monroe, Brad Rassler, Will Bahr, and Zachary B. Hancock.
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
This week we have stories from Suzy Hansen, Raksha Vasudevan, Linda Kinstler, Erica Berry, and Dave Denison.
Essays and Features
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.
The Fish That Climbed a Mountain
The wild tale of a small fishing club, a national park, and an epic battle over alien trout.
On (the) Sublime
When we reach for our limits, what is it that we ultimately grasp?
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?”
Around The Pit
Circling billions of gallons of toxic water at America’s largest Superfund site.
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Reading Lists
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.
Love, Lust, Loneliness: A Valentine’s Day Reading List
Essays, reading lists, and editors’ picks on relationships, breakups, and many different kinds of love.
Remember the Titans: An ‘Attack on Titan’ Reading List
The influential anime didn’t just upend kaiju tropes—it delivered an unsettling look at imperialism and hubris.
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