The French As Dostoevsky Saw Them
“Americans find it hard to believe that foreigners are unalterably foreign, for they have seen generations of immigrants who became Americans.”
The Corporate "Free Speech" Racket
How corporations are using the First Amendment to destroy government regulation.
La Dolce Alfonse!
The riotous private sector life of former New York senator, Al D’Amato.
Where Will We Live?
What happens when we run out of houses.
Edward Snowden, After Months of NSA Revelations, Says His Mission’s Accomplished
“Let them say what they want. It’s not about me.”
The Fight Over the Doves
Resurrecting a legendary typeface.
The Ghost of Shipwrecks Future
The author dives to the wreck of the Mohawk, where his uncle died in 1935.
Roughing It
In 1916, a pair of 29-year-old women, bored with their lives in Upstate New York, took teaching jobs in a remote area of the Rocky Mountains. This is the story of what they found.
The Case of the Missing Ancestor
A cave in Russia, a long-lost tip of a pinkie bone, and the discovery of a new kind of human being.
An Interview With Louise Lasser: TV, Depression, and SNL
The Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman star on being married to Woody Allen, Jewish words, and Girls.
Surviving Anxiety
“I’ve tried therapy, drugs, and booze. Here’s what helps.”
Playboy Interview: Mel Brooks
A comic who had previously refused to discuss his private life opens up for the first time, riding high on the surprise success of Blazing Saddles more than thirty years into his career.
One Day in the Life of Mikhail Khodorkovsky
A jailhouse interview with Vladimir Putin’s rival at the very end of his decade behind bars.
The Moon Landing
Experiencing the first moon walk with a wide range of New Yorkers.
Almost Human: The Surreal, Cyborg Future of Telemarketing
“This is a story about how the future gets weird.”
Al Goldstein: The Anti-Hef
A profile of the publisher of Screw, who died this week.
The Mysterious Story of the Battery Startup that Promised GM a 200-Mile Electric Car
How an up-and-coming company went bust.
The Tale Of Freak Show Star Julia Pastrana, Mexico’s Monkey Woman
An exploited celebrity’s long journey home.
Concealed Carry: How Utah Became America's Gun Permit Mill
A journey through America’s convoluted gun laws.
Tyler Hadley's Killer Party
He murdered his parents. Then he threw a party.
Joe Sexton is a senior editor at ProPublica and a former reporter and editor at the New York Times, where he led the team that produced "Snow Fall."
"My experience in a newspaper newsroom over the years has been: The word you hear least often, the word that's hardest for people to say in that environment, is the word yes. It's safer to say no. You get second-guessed less often if you say no. Your job's not on the line if you say no. But if you're willing to say yes and you're willing to face the consequences of having said yes, then quite amazing things can happen."
Thanks to Random House and TinyLetter for sponsoring this week's episode.
The Welfare Queen
Ronald Reagan made Linda Taylor a notorious American villain. Her other sins were far worse.
Temporary Work, Lasting Harm
Asphyxiation, heavy machinery accidents and heat stroke–the dangers of America’s temporary workforce.
A Rebel's Recollections
A Confederate soldier’s point of view on the Civil War.
The Longform Guide to George Saunders
This guide is sponsored by George Saunders's Tenth of December, the acclaimed short story collection published this year by Random House. A National Book Award Finalist and one of The New York Times Book Review's Top 10 of 2013, Tenth of December has been hailed by critics as "an irresistible mix of humor and humanity," "a visceral and moving act of storytelling," and "a feat of inventiveness."</p>
It's really, really good. Makes for a great gift, too. Buy it today. Should you need further convincing, here is a collection of classic Saunders stories, both fiction and non-fiction, from our archive:</em>
Amazon • Barnes & Noble • Indiebound
Buy Tenth of December today:</p>
Kindle • Nook • iBookstore</strong>
