Chinua Achebe: The Art of Fiction No. 139
An interview with the late writer.
I Can Find an Indicted Warlord. So Why Isn't He in The Hague?
Tracking down a Congolese war criminal.
Iraq's Baby Noor
Born with spina bifida, Noor al-Zahra Haider entered the media spotlight in 2005 after U.S. troops arranged her life-saving surgery in America. This is what happened when she returned to Iraq.
A Court Of No Appeal
How one obscure sentence upset the New York Times.
Sponsored
Sponsor: Voice Media Group
Our sponsor this week is Voice Media Group, publisher of the Village Voice, LA Weekly, Miami New Times and eight other metropolitan newsweeklies and sites. Every week, VMG writers publish longform narrative journalism, and their work is regularly picked for Longform. Here are three recent favorites:
Millionaires Clash Over Shadyside Mansion</b>
Terrence McCoy • Houston Press</p>
Joe Arridy Was the Happiest Man on Death Row
Alan Prendergast • Westword
A White Buffalo’s Death Breeds Suspicion and Lies
Brantley Hargrove • Dallas Observer
VMG is also seeking freelancers to pitch longform features on issues of national importance and interest. If you’re an experienced journalist with reporting chops, energy and ideas, please visit voicemediagroup.com and click on “National Features Program” under “Our Journalism.”
The Legend of Chris Kyle
A profile of the deadliest sniper in American history, who was murdered last month by a fellow soldier.
Pitch Battles
Conspiracy theories, utopian fantasies, and cult involvement surrounding the international standard of musical tuning.
Noise Kills
Living with – and dying because of – hyperacusis, a condition that grossly intensifies hearing.
See No Evil: The Case of Alfred Anaya
Alfred Anaya was a genius at installing secret compartments in cars. If they were used to smuggle drugs without his knowledge, he figured, that wasn’t his problem. He was wrong.
Rolf Potts is a veteran travel writer.
"Instead of seeking out the stories, the stories sort of found me. I miss those days. I mean, I make more money from my writing now and I'm probably a better journalist. But having seven-day weeks to wander, month after month, for two years, was a great way to find real and spontaneous and human travel stories."</i>
Thanks to TinyLetter for sponsoring this week's episode!
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Murder of Football Player Shakes Town
Amidst the football-obsessed culture of small-town Christian colleges in Kansas, a player is killed at a party.
The Hostage
The author tells the story of his kidnapping by militants in Syria.
How Soccer Explains Israel
In February, Jerusalem’s FC Beitar, the only soccer team in the Israeli Premier League to have never signed an Arab player, signed two Chechnyan Muslims, sparking national controversy and pitting the organization against their ultras fan club La Familia.
Hunter S. Thompson: The Art of Journalism No. 1
A 12-hour interview on career and craft.
The Private Lives of the Cryptozoologists
A visit to a Maine museum devoted to Bigfoot and other mythical creatures.
The Nightmare of the West Memphis Three
Three boys falsely accused of murder, and what the twenty-year saga says about all of us.
The One-Legged Wrestler Who Conquered His Sport, Then Left It Behind
The last escape of Anthony Roebles.
He Who Makes the Rules
The bureaucratic hell of enforcing legislation in Washington.
Food Stamps Put Rhode Island Town on Monthly Boom-and-Bust Cycle
The economics of Woonsocket, where one-third of residents rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
The Miner’s Daughter
A profile of Gina Rinehart, the richest person in Australia.
The Vulgarian in the Choir Loft
An asshole learns to sing.
The Informant
A participant in a deadly shooting spree decides to snitch on his friends.
Greed Is Groupon
The daily deals company turned down a $6 billion offer from Google and went public. Now its stock is down 80% and its founder/CEO has been fired. On Groupon’s failed strategy and tenuous future.
A Sentence Worse Than Death
The author on his 25 years in solitary confinement.
A Tale of Two Londons
“We can conclude at least two things with certainty about the tenants of One Hyde Park: they are extremely wealthy, and most of them don’t want you to know who they are and how they got their money.”
