“‘If you didn’t do it, I would still be there.’ His voice was weak with emotion.”
Michael Hall
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
This edition features stories from Joshua Kaplan, Justin Elliott, and Alex Mierjeski, Michael Hall, Ben Goldfarb, Meg Bernhard, and Angela Burke.
Hellhounds on His Trail: Mack McCormick’s Long, Tortured Quest to Find the Real Robert Johnson
“For decades, the Houston folklorist labored over his biography of the legendary bluesman. Seven years after McCormick’s death, the book is finally out—and so are the secrets long kept by its troubled author.”
Longreads Best of 2019: Arts and Culture
We asked writers and editors to choose some of their favorite stories of the year in various categories. Here is the best in arts and culture.
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
This week, we’re sharing stories from Lakeidra Chavis, Jodi S. Cohen, Jennifer Smith Richards, Heidi Blake, Zandria F. Robinson, Michael Hall, and Eve Peyser.
Willie Nelson’s 50-year Love Affair with Trigger, His Faithful Guitar
“A guitar sounds better as it gets older, just like a Stradivarius does.”
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
This week, we’re sharing stories by Ijeoma Oluo, Michael Hall, Erika Hayasaki, Jerry Saltz, and Caren Chesler.
Weighing the Impact of Nationalized Medicine
In Texas Monthly, Michael Hall surveys the Texans whose health has dramatically improved after receiving medical coverage through the Affordable Care Act, and the group who labored to get them enrolled.