Hi 👋 

Another Monday, another Lazy Reader reading list of some of the best longform writing from across the Web ✨

Rainy season is just about starting where I am and it’s putting me in the perfect mood to just rot in bed and read and read and read. Sucks, though, because work has been quite the b*tch and it’s not giving me time to breathe.

Truthfully, I’m also in a bit of a reading slump. I just finished a fantasy-whodunit book that I thoroughly enjoyed and it’s put me in such a rut. Is this what withdrawal feels like?

Anyway, if you missed last week’s email, here are some choice picks:

• A police cover-up.

• A neighborhood spat that spiraled out of control.

• A chilling, unfortunately timely piece of fiction.

As always, please let me know what you think of the list this week by voting in the poll below.

Happy reading and see you again next Monday!

Story in Spotlight

Epstein unfortunately has again found himself back on the news cycle. This story, which I read years ago but never really left my brain completely, is once again timely. Absolutely depressing to see that nothing material has changed from then to now.

I’ll be upfront: I don’t really know who this Epstein character is (was). Or what his deal is (was). Looking him up hasn’t been of much help. I just know that he was this ridiculously rich, powerful, and evil guy who believed that the world should and would do his bidding, and tried to make it so.

There’s so much to unpack here. One thing that stuck out to me when I first read this story (and continues to stick out to me now) is how Epstein might actually be a government asset. And how there’s enough there to make this borderline-conspiracy-theory more than halfway credible. (Of course, there’s no conclusive evidence to prove this, and we’ll likely never get any closure for this).

There’s been a lot of uproar recently about who’s been on Epstein’s list and whatever, which is important, sure, but also feels a bit misdirected. Especially in the context of this potential involvement of the state (or states). It appears to me that maybe we should also be giving that at least an equal degree of attention—if not more?

On a more technical level, I always found this story impressive from a process standpoint. Calling some 2,000 people who you know are most likely linked to one of the world’s most powerful figures takes incredible guts. As does, of course, confronting them with uncomfortable facts. I’m surprised Leland didn’t find himself on the unforutnate end of an assassination plot.

And then there’s the matter of taking hundreds of hours of tense calls and distilling them into a coherent story. That must have meant having to dig through your recordings and reliving some awkward (at best) or hostile moments for maybe a sentence. Really impressive work here.

Very long. And as this is about Epstein, there’s some difficult subject matter here. Consider this your content warning. But this guy Leland is a humorous fellow and that translates into some oments where I was physically laughing out loud. That counts for something, right? 1 hour, likely more.

The Longform List

Conversations With a Hitman | The Atavist, $

Probably one of The Atavist’s best stories, and that’s saying a lot because they never miss.

In an attempt to heal an unresolved wound in his past, a retired Fed visits a hitman in prison. He gets much more than what he set out for and ends up unraveling the secrets of an unsolved crime from before even his time.

I know the premise sounds too good to be true for a non-fiction story, but I promise you it’s not. This story delivers on it and goes beyond, offering what I’d say is one of the most satisfying payoffs to a True Crime story that I’ve ever seen. Characterization here is top-notch, as is the structuring and pacing. I’m really not doing it any justice at all. Trust me and go read this.

18 Tigers, 17 Lions, 8 Bears, 3 Cougars, 2 Wolves, 1 Baboon, 1 Macaque, and 1 Man Dead in Ohio | GQ, $

Also a strong contender for one of the best longform pieces I’ve read, and one of the most unique twists on the Crime genre I’ve experienced. The opening sequences of this story are gruesome and compelling and raise a crapload of questions. The writer spends the rest of the article trying to get some answers, but as with anything else that’s worth this many words, he realizes that things are more complicated than they seem and there are layers upon charged layers that need to be peeled back.

The Valley of the Shadow of Death | TexasMonthly, $

Another one from Mr. Skip Hollandsworth, which should be enough to tell you how good this story is.

In many ways, this is the quintessential TexasMonthly True Crime piece. There’s intrigue, there’s scandal, there’s buildup, a shocking reveal, and the long, grueling fallout. (All that’s left, I’d say, is the gore—but I’m happy to leave that out of my reading experience). As is typical of Mr. Hollandsworth, reportage here is strong. Would have wanted some of the more shocking reveals pushed later into the story, but what do I know?

Small Time | The Sun, $

This one was recommended to me by a reader, which really makes me happy. Please do feel free to reach out with your own recommendations.

This essay turned out surprisingly profound, striking at some complicated subjects and evoking equally complicated emotions. If you’ve once dreamed big things for yourself but had to ultimately tone those down because life got in the way, this will resonate with you. Plus points for reading like a work of literary fiction.

Meet the ‘Inactivists’, Tangling Up the Climate Crisis in Culture Wars | The Guardian, Free

Lots to unpack here, but I just want to get it out of the way that I appreciate The Guardian here for diving into some of the thornier, more difficult aspects of climate activism (or any kind of social justice activism, actually).

The ‘inactivists’ here are decidedly contra-progressive, but they are only effective at what they do because the so-called liberal forces have, while in power, largely failed to deliver on their promises. Social inequality has only grown, and the economy has only gotten more difficult for the regular person. Meanwhile, the rich become richer and the powerful become more powerful. No wonder there’s bubbling resentment there that’s way too easy for conservative forces to exploit.

Finding Robert Bogucki, the Man Who Disappeared on Purpose | ABC News, Free

Really interesting story that took a pleasantly surprising twist at the end. I really thought I was going to hate this Robert person for how self-centered his actions were, but he turned out to be a nice, culturally sensitive man. Fun turnaround there. A tiny gripe: The single-sentence paragraphs are fine when used sparingly, but if it’s the default format, it starts to look amateurish.

Tobacco’s Second Wind | The Assembly, $

Solid investigation, interesting (and unique) subject, and prose that I can’t complain about. This would have easily found its way up many more spots any other week, but today’s list is just a bit too strong for this one, from The Assembly, to reliably stand out. I will say, though, that I appreciate how this piece continues to treat tobacco as a capital-S Serious investigative subject. It’s not as sexy as, say, drugs, but I’d argue that it’s no less important.

Thanks for reading! Please, please reach out if you have feedback, suggestions, or questions. Alternatively, you can fill out this super quick survey form. I promise it won’t even take five minutes of your time, and it’ll be a HUGE help!

ALSO: I know some of the stories I recommend might be behind paywalls, and maybe I can help you with access to those. Send me a message and let’s see what we can do 😊

Until next Monday! 👋