The Rise of Beefcake Yoga
Once their careers end, pro wrestlers often fall into emotional and physical disrepair. One of their own, Diamond Dallas Page, has a fix.
Fifteen Years of the Salto Mortale
On Johnny Carson, a cold man in a hot seat.
The War Photo No One Would Publish
When Kenneth Jarecke photographed the charred remains of an Iraqi soldier during the Gulf War, he thought it might help challenge the popular narrative of a clean, uncomplicated battle. He was wrong.
Fiction Pick of the Week: "The Time I Spent On A Commercial Whaling Ship Totally Changed My Perspective On The World"
“Call me Ishmael. Some years ago—never mind how long precisely—having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me on shore, I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world.”
For a daily short story recommendation from our editors, try Longform Fiction or follow @longformfiction on Twitter.
The Economics of Pricelessness
How to understand the real-world value of things that are worth nothing and everything at once.
Designed for Destruction
On the platonic but volatile relationship between fashion designer Alexander McQueen, who committed suicide in 2010 and professional muse Isabella Blow, who committed suicide in 2007.
The Front Lines of Ferguson
Two days in crisis.
At that moment, I didn’t feel like a journalist. There was nothing about this event that I felt the need to chronicle. There was no time to find out what the bombs actually were and what was actually coming out of the guns and what type of gas was coming out of the canisters. In this moment, there was nothing I felt the need to broadcast to the world. I didn’t even have the desire to communicate my safety or lack thereof.
I was just a black man in Ferguson.
The High Priest of Jazz
A profile of Thelonious Monk.
Paper Boys
Inside the dark, lucrative world of consumer debt collection.
Charles Brackett, Billy Wilder, And The Rise And Fall Of Hollywood’s Happiest Couple
The antagonistic partnership that produced Sunset Boulevard.
What I Saw in Ferguson
“What transpired in the streets appeared to be a kind of municipal version of shock and awe.”
MLB Game-Fixing Investigation Uncovers Lies, Luck and Hard Feelings
This is what happens when you concoct game-fixing allegations against a Major League pitcher because of a perceived slight on Facebook.
Money in the Bank
Professional wrestling as the epitome of American capitalism.
Who Is Charlie Crist? The Answer Is Complicated
A profile of Florida’s former (and perhaps future) governor.
Lewis Lapham, formerly the editor of Harper's, is the founder of Lapham's Quarterly.
"The best part of my job was to come across a manuscript. You never knew what would show up. ... I always had the sense of opening a present, hoping to be both delighted and surprised. Often I was disappointed. But when I wasn't, it was a lot of fun. And word got around that I was that kind of an editor, that I was willing to try anything if you could make it interesting."
Thanks to TinyLetter and GoDaddy for sponsoring this week's episode.
To Have and Have Not
Lauren Bacall at 86.
The Most Wanted Man in the World
Catching up with Edward Snowden in Moscow.
The Price of Cold
On frozen dumplings, industrial freezers, and what the future could hold after China’s burgeoning refrigeration boom.
The Tuber
Navigating the alligator-infested rivers of North Florida.
How a Squad of Ex-Cops Fights Police Abuses
An experiment in public defense.
Tavi Gevinson Just Graduated High School
A profile of the Rookie editor-in-chief, who makes her Broadway debut next week.
Playboy Interview: Robin Williams
“If you take the chance, sometimes you’ll find something so magnificent that it was worth dying for, and sometimes you’ll find nothing and have a horrible night. To go deeper with it, that’s the most interesting challenge.”
You’re 16. You’re a Pedophile. You Don’t Want to Hurt Anyone. What Do You Do Now?
Meet Adam.
The Limits of Compassion
On PEPFAR, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, and the experience of covering AIDS in Africa.
The Most Popular Articles of the Week
A terrifying stalker, a crooked cop and a failed plan in Russia — the week's top stories on Longform.
