The Secret Formula
Could shrunken heads from the Amazon hold the key to curing cancer? One man thought so—and spent a lifetime trying to prove it.
Great articles, every Saturday.
Could shrunken heads from the Amazon hold the key to curing cancer? One man thought so—and spent a lifetime trying to prove it.
Steven Lance The Atavist Magazine Dec 2020 1h10min Permalink
The author’s chance encounter with Tom Hanks leads to a dear and lasting friendship with his assistant.
Ann Patchett Harper's Dec 2020 1h20min Permalink
A family stops at a Jersey travel plaza on the way to a New York medical center.
Jen Michalski Necessary Fiction Feb 2020 10min Permalink
Oil-and-gas wells produce nearly a trillion gallons of toxic waste a year. An investigation shows how it could be making workers sick and contaminating communities across America.
Justin Nobel Rolling Stone Jan 2020 35min Permalink
Five years after his death, friends, family, and the athletes he covered reflect on the legendary ‘SportsCenter’ anchor and ESPN icon.
Bryan Curtis The Ringer Jan 2020 45min Permalink
The difficult final year of a much-loved and legendarily difficult woman.
Elizabeth Wurtzel Gen Jan 2020 20min Permalink
A profile of the film critic.
Chris Jones Esquire Mar 2010 30min Permalink
There’s a tale about a boy in Waycross. Near a canal, he struck a match, lit a piece of newspaper, and tossed it into the water. But when the burning paper touched the surface, it didn’t go out. The water burst into flames.
Joshua Sharpe Atlanta Magazine Apr 2019 30min Permalink
Where words fail, there is music.
Shuja Haider Popula Mar 2019 30min Permalink
Johnson & Johnson knew for decades that asbestos lurked in its Baby Powder.
Lisa Girion Reuters Dec 2018 25min Permalink
Chad Walde believed in his work at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Then he got a rare brain cancer linked to radiation, and the government denied it had any responsibility.
Rebecca Moss ProPublica Oct 2018 40min Permalink
On parenting a sick child.
Rob Delaney Medium Sep 2018 10min Permalink
When the author’s wife was dying, his best friend moved in.
Matthew Teague Esquire May 2015 25min Permalink
The science on the link is clear, but the alcohol industry has worked hard to downplay it.
Stephanie Mencimer Mother Jones Apr 2018 30min Permalink
As a father succumbs to lung cancer, his son tries to recreate his personality in the form of a chatbot.
James Vlahos Wired Jul 2017 30min Permalink
“The last time I ate real food, actually chewed and swallowed, was six years ago.”
David Wong Louie Harper's Jul 2017 Permalink
There is no script for losing a spouse in your 30s.
CHRISTINA FRANGOU The Globe and Mail Dec 2016 30min Permalink
On chemo.
Luke Mullins Washingtonian Dec 2016 20min Permalink
Will Lacey was just a baby when doctors diagnosed a rare form of cancer and told his family there was only one end. Nobody then could imagine the journey ahead, from hospital rooms to board rooms, research labs to government offices, a furious race between hope and death.
Billy Baker Boston Globe Dec 2016 50min Permalink
David Roberts spent his life facing death in the mountains. Now he is facing a fatal prognosis.
Brad Rassler Outside Oct 2016 25min Permalink
Inside one woman’s often conflicted world.
Rachel Monroe The Guardian Feb 2016 20min Permalink
“At 54, after 30 years of marriage and two of loneliness, I went online to find a man and found Dean.”
A three-part essay on love, loss, and what comes in between.
Esther Schor Tablet Feb 2016 35min Permalink
A personal and legal history of assisted suicide.
Kevin Drum Mother Jones Jan 2016 15min Permalink
A father, his dying son, and the quest to make the most profound video game ever.
Jason Tanz Wired Jan 2016 10min Permalink
A doctor who helped pioneer Oregon’s Death With Dignity law receives his own terminal diagnosis.
Brooke Jarvis Harper's Dec 2015 10min Permalink