How the Potato Changed the World
A short but comprehensive history of solanum tuberosa.
The Mysterious Columba Bush
When Jeb Bush married his wife, it was the bravest thing he’d ever done. Her role in his life is still a mystery.
The Battle for the BBC
The broadcasting behemoth is up for a charter renewal in the United Kingdom, and it’s exposing every crack in the organization.
The Hard Truths of Ta-Nehisi Coates
On the modern era’s answer to James Baldwin.
Why Can’t We Stop Cholera in Haiti?
For a time, NGOs thought they’d eradicated the disease. But now it’s back.
Eric Holder, Wall Street Double Agent, Comes in From the Cold
The murky legacy of the former Attorney General.
This Doctor Knows Exactly How You Feel
On mirror-touch synethesia, the power (or curse) of knowing exactly how others feel.
"That's What Happened Between Me and Clark"
Loretta Young, Clark Gable and the truth behind one of old Hollywood’s greatest scandals.
An Opportunity Gamed Away
A casino failed to save Tunica, Mississippi.
The Hunt for El Chapo
How the world’s most notorious drug lord was captured.
Previously: Patrick Radden Keefe on the Longform Podcast.
Never Mainline
On Keith Richards’ autobiography.
There’s some very sensible advice on how to take drugs, too.
The Invisible Man
To date, more than 500 people have been killed by police in America. This is the story of one, Charly Keunang.
The Forgotten Village
Revisiting California’s grape vines more than 70 years after the publication of The Grapes of Wrath.
Serena Williams: The Great One
The best women’s tennis player of all-time opens up.
Eff Scott
On what’s in a name.
What Happened in Room 102
The case of Richard Glossip, whose failed Supreme Court challenge of execution methods now leaves him waiting for death. But he still insists he’s innocent.
Weekend with Bernie
He may not be the surest bet for the Presidency, but Bernie Sanders might be the most interesting candidate in the race.
Charlie Hebdo’s Multi-Million-Dollar Pile of Tragedy Money
A global outpouring of generosity after the massacre in January has left the satirical magazine rich. Its leftist staffers have conflicted feelings about that.
The Mixed-Up Brothers of Bogotá
Two pairs of identical twins mismatched in a hospital happen upon each other in their twenties.
The Millionaire Who Rescues Migrants at Sea
Christopher Catambrone wants to help illegal migrants who try to cross the Mediterranean in ill-equipped, unsafe boats. But it’s hard to do alone.
Fiction Pick of the Week: "Stick Shift"
A girl's interaction before her Coming Out dance.
"I had no idea about myself, whether I was pretty or different or what. That I had not yet attracted a boyfriend was a failure that weighed on my mind. If I was pretty, I figured, I would have one already. But if I was different, a fresh idea for me, that would explain the problem, for I thought that boys didn’t like girls who weren’t the same as every other girl they knew. I didn’t play varsity sports and look like it, and I wasn’t fey, I didn’t play an instrument or go in for the arts. I was smart, though. “Boys are intimidated by your intellect,” my married sister once told me, meaning it as a compliment. But I didn’t act nearly as smart as I was, so I couldn’t believe that was true."
Collections Sponsored
The Longform Guide to Cat Burglars
This collection is sponsored by Alarm Grid, a new kind of home security company. No contracts, no activation costs, no hidden fees. Try it today and get your first month free.
The Lost Girls
The Runaways, their manager Kim Fowley, and the rape of the band’s bassist, long kept a secret.
Make It Reign
Spins from the DJs at Atlanta’s seminal Magic City strip club can turn nobodies into hip-hop stars.
Ross Andersen is the deputy editor of Aeon Magazine.
“One of the things that’s been really refreshing in dealing with scientists—as opposed to say politicians or most business people—is that scientists are wonderfully candid, they’ll talk shit on their colleagues. They’re just firing on all cylinders all the time because they traffic in ideas, and that’s what’s important to them.”
Thanks to TinyLetter and Alarm Grid for sponsoring this week's episode.
