Did Anthony Hill have to die?
An unarmed man, a cop charged with murder, and the challenge of policing mental illness.
The Book of Prince
Prince had grand plans for his autobiography, but only a few months to live.
My Brother's Passing, God, and the Origins of Life
In the normal universe, "to be" is annihilated by "not to be." But for reasons that are still a mystery to even the deepest math of physics, a bit of matter in a billion or so is not obliterated, it has no antimatter partner. It becomes a drop of experience.
Fiction Pick of the Week: "The Green Bridge"
A girl spends time with her mentally unstable mother.
Competitive Oyster Shucking Is Real, Decadent, And China's Best Party
Do not assume, just because there is champagne and whiskey and maybe, sometimes, drugs, that these shuckers aren’t also thinking long and hard, and often poetically, about their métier.
The Myths of the “Genius” Behind Trump’s Reelection Campaign
Brad Parscale has said he’s taking a relative pittance to run the president’s reelection operation. But as with much of what Parscale has claimed about his work and life, that’s not the full story. This is.
I Was Caroline Calloway
A Instagram-caption ghostwriter speaks.
The Life and Times of Strider Wolf
When he was 2, Strider was severely beaten by his mother’s boyfriend. Today, at 6, Strider lives with his grandparents in rural Maine, in and out of poverty, trying to make it.
Paul Tough is a contributing writer to the New York Times Magazine and the author of The Years That Matter Most: How College Makes or Breaks Us.
“The nice thing about a book as opposed to a magazine article is that it’s less formulaic. As a writer, it gives you more freedom — you’re trying to create an emotional mood where ideas have a place to sit in a person’s brain. And when people are moved by a book, it’s not by being told, ‘Here’s the problem, here’s the answer, now go do it.’ It’s by having your vision of the world slightly changed.”
Thanks to MailChimp and Pitt Writers for sponsoring this week's episode.
What College Admissions Offices Really Want
Elite schools say they’re looking for academic excellence and diversity. But their thirst for tuition revenue means that wealth trumps all.
The Falling Man
In the days after 9/11, a photo of an unknown man falling from the South Tower appeared in publications across the globe. This is the story of that photograph, and of the search to find the man pictured in it.
Tina Turner Is Having the Time of Her Life
A Swiss chateau. A Broadway musical all about her. And absolutely nothing she has to do.
Don't Stop Running
An argument for trying.
'There's No Such Thing As Cold Hard Reality'
Meet the Hyperloop’s truest believers.
My Terezín Diary
On what is recorded and what is left out.
The Odds of That
On the nature of coincidence.
Free Solo Climber Alex Honnold's Next Summit? The Rest of His Life
On life after you accomplish your lifelong goal.
The Heir
Inside the battle between Ivanka and Don Jr. to be next in line.
How an Elite University Research Center Concealed Its Relationship with Jeffrey Epstein
The M.I.T. Media Lab knew Epstein was a convicted sex offender. They asked for his help anyway, then covered their tracks.
Why Can’t California Solve Its Housing Crisis?
It’s the epicenter of the tech industry and the wealthiest, most progressive state in the union, but homelessness is surging — and no one can agree on how to fix it.
The Legend of Baltimore Jack
To some, Baltimore Jack’s choice to live off the grid was irresponsible. Others celebrated that he’d managed to break the shackles of convention. We look back on the life of an AT antihero.
In the Ashes of Ghost Ship
He helped build an artists’ utopia. Now he faces trial for 36 deaths there.
Fiction Pick of the Week: "The Stone"
A mystical stone guides a woman through her life.
The Big Show Never Ends
How Dan Patrick and Keith Olbermann revolutionized sports broadcasting with SportsCenter.
The Gospel According to Marianne Williamson
Do spirituality and self-help have a political constituency?
