A place to browse and read quality longform non-fiction

I’m getting a kick out of being able to look over the shoulders of famous members of the Twitterati (like Gene Weingarten) to see who they are following. Gene has his serious side, having written a number of amazing in-depth articles, so it is not surprising that he follows Longform.org, a web site which collects long non-fiction articles deemed of sufficiently high quality by the site’s editors. (They also have previously unpublished articles.) It’s nice to see there are people who value the well-written, thoroughly researched non-fiction piece.

The Weingarten article that sticks in my mind most searingly is his examination of parents who had forgotten they had their small children in their car, went about their business during the day, inadvertently dooming their child. You can hardly believe anyone would have the courage to talk to these people, and the sensitivity to tell their heart-wrenching stories, but Gene pulls it off masterfully. The article is one of Longform’s “Editor’s Picks.”

See also the similar site, Longreads.

Advertisement

The Writer’s Almanac: Garrison Keillor’s online oasis of good writing, common sense, and calm

It is rare that I listen to Garrison Keillor’s daily dose of poetry, literary lore and homespun wisdom: The Writer’s Almanac. This is because I don’t usually listen to the local radio station that carries it. (WAMU 88.5, at 6:50 a.m. !!) But when I do hear it, I am always transfixed, and vow to try harder to keep up with the program. So I will occasionally visit the web site, which offers that day’s program in print and audio, as well as a rich and rewarding archive of past material.

Too often, going online can be a hellish experience. It is nice to know there are some places in cyberspace where calm, class, and common sense are the ruling principles.