I’m Never Fine

“As a proponent of transparency, especially one who stands in opposition to the demonization of feeling, I can’t—I won’t—use the word anymore.”
by Joseph Lezza
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At left, a photograph of author Joseph Lezza. At right, the cover of his book, "I'm Never Fine: Scenes and Spasms on Loss."

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The Top 5 Longreads of the Week

Froggie regrets. A precious ticket to a Chicago Bulls game. A conversation about AI and nature. A profile of the world’s most famous unknown writer. And to finish, a look back to last Friday and…

by Longreads

Editors’ Picks

Last Resorts

Cassandra Kislenko | The Baffler | March 29, 2023 | 1,887 words

“Disabled people and advocates fear that medically assisted suicide will become a weapon for the state to do away with what capitalism considers unproductive bodies.”

Where the Children Are Buried

Annie Hylton | The Walrus | March 29, 2023 | 7,835 words

“In 2015, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised to implement all ninety-four of the TRC’s Calls to Action. According to Indigenous Watchdog, a non-profit, only thirteen have since been fully realized.”

“Blurred Lines,” Harbinger of Doom

Jayson Greene | Pitchfork | March 29, 2023 | 4,435 words

“How Robin Thicke, Pharrell, and T.I.’s cursed megahit predicted everything bad about the past decade in pop culture”

The Dystopian Underworld of South Africa’s Illegal Gold Mines

Kimon de Greef | The New Yorker | February 27, 2023 | 7,676 words

“When the country’s mining industry collapsed, a criminal economy grew in its place, with thousands of men climbing into some of the deepest shafts in the world, searching for leftover…

America Doesn’t Know Tofu

George Stiffman | Asterisk Magazine | March 9, 2023 | 3,278 words

“China has spent millennia exploring the culinary possibilities of soybean curds. The West has barely scratched the surface.”

My Decade of Temporary Homes

Rachel Heng | Esquire | March 22, 2023 | 5,093 words

“I see, in hindsight, how mastering the ability to see through cards did not seem like an impossible thing to him. He had made seemingly impossible things happen before.”

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Essays and Features

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Reading Lists

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Our year-end collection

All the top #longreads of 2022, selected by our editors, featured authors, and readers.

Read our picks