Hi 👋 

Welcome back to The Lazy Reader, where we curate some of the best longform journalism from across the web! ✨

My gosh time goes by so quickly, doesn’t it?

All of a sudden, the elections are almost here. It feels like it was just last week that I decided to take out our quick news blitz at the end of the newsletter out of frustration—that the debates and rallies were all everyone could talk about. It felt really heavy on the soul to have to wade through all the hubristic thinkpieces just to find other interesting bits of news from other parts of the world.

And now we’re just hours away from what is arguably the most important democratic exercise in the world. For better or for worse (for worse, certainly), the effects of the U.S. presidential elections will ripple far beyond the country and reach even the most remote corners of the planet. Because for better or for worse (for worse, definitely), America has so inelegantly inserted itself into the matters of almost every nation.

And so the U.S. elections is suddenly my (and everyone else’s) business, too, even if I’d much rather that it not be.

But I will admit: I hadn’t planned this out well. At all. I didn’t realize until Friday that the elections were happening this week already, so the list that I came up with doesn’t really fit that theme—save for a few that I was able to cram into this edition.

That might not be such a bad thing, though, right?

If elections there are half as bad as elections here, then I’m sure you’ll all be stressed out of your pants. Maybe this longform list can act as an escape for you, even for just for a few minutes.

In any case here’s some of what you can expect in this week’s email:

• This cutting-edge but controversial (but very effective, at least so far) therapy for psychosis.

• A woman being haunted and tormented by the abuse she suffered from her childhood—or is she?

• The most brazen, greedy “green” Ponzi scheme in America.

ALSO: I’ve hit a wall in trying to grow the newsletter, and I need your help. Aside from TLR, where else do you get your longform recommendations? And what social media platforms do you frequent?

Let me know by replying to this email, or by filling out this form:

As with last week, 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

Ahead of the U.S. elections tomorrow, I decided to dedicate our spotlight this week to a relevant story—and I’m lucky that some of the biggest media outlets are still able to run really good, in-depth stories like this one.

I know they’ve recently come under fire for journalistic integrity (or something; I find it pointless to follow the outrage machine online), but CNN did incredible work here. They dug through thousands of pages of documentation—official complaints, donation records, what have you—and interviewed dozens of experts, regulators, former employees and victims.

And the result is explosive: Well-meaning people who just want to support their candidate, who just want to play a more active civic role, are taken advantage of and milked dry of their life savings by the very politicians who want to represent them in the government. Politicians who claim to have their best interests at heart. One hell of a mismatch there, huh?

It doesn’t end there: The victims are mostly elderly people suffering from dementia or other forms of cognitive weakness—in fact, they’re likely singled out as the demographic to target because they’re likely to miss the fine print.

AND the federal government appears to be largely powerless to do anything about it. But also, if you think about it, why would anyone in power do anything to stop these predatory donation practices that, in one way or another, benefit them?

Not too long, and also a very smooth reading experience. CNN did great work with the graphics here, too, which helps with the story’s overall readability. I finished this in around 20 minutes, though I wouldn’t fault you for taking more time to dig through the graphics. 

A two-fer for this week’s spotlight!

But this one is a bit on the shorter side. Think of it as something of a bonus spotlight story. Though I suspect that for readers who don’t live in the U.S., this one might resonate more than our first spotlight pick.

This was originally written in the midst of the 2020 U.S. elections, which in hindsight—and compared to this year’s cycle—was a much smoother and less infuriating experience. But even then, the writer was already very frustrated with the U.S. political franchise, which has consistently meant death and destruction and desperation and destitution for most of the planet. Especially its Black and brown and poor inhabitants.

And that’s regardless of who’s in office or which party is in power. That’s regardless of the dominant rhetoric of the U.S. government—whether it be the more liberal respect for democracy and human rights (allegedly) or the more overtly conservative and insular America-first mentality.

And yet, despite all of this—despite realistically having next-to-no chance that any U.S. President-elect will mean better lives for those of us oustide the country—we stay tuned. And we hope. Because as I said in the intro, even if the president (and voters) insist on putting America first (which is very reasonable, actually), it’s inevitable that U.S. policy will have a heavy impact on the lives of everyone else. That’s just how the U.S. has historically built its influence. That’s how it stays the world’s foremost superpower.

So I guess what I want to say, in fewer words, is that I hope people in the U.S. understand how consequential their votes are. And to really think about it.

This one isn’t long at all. Maybe 5 to 10 minutes if you can stay focused.

The Longform List

🐄 ‘This Will Finish Us’ | The Atlantic, $

If it hadn’t been election week, this story would have taken the spotlight (by a very tiny margin, though. You’ll see why in the next item below).

I’ve recently been having mixed feelings about The Atlantic. Its coverage has become a bit too… belligerent? for my tastes in recent months. Even before the election cycle went into full swing. But then I come across stories like these and I’m reminded of how absolutely, gut-wrenchingly incredible The Atlantic’s writers can be.

This story raises some of the most important environmental questions—many of which not even our foremost conservation bodies are comfortable asking. Because it’s these agencies themselves that advocate for the displacement of indigenous groups, the killing off of cultures, for some shallow ideal of conservation, whatever that means. Or rather, whatever funders want it to mean.

And all in the name of progress. But progress for whom? And at what—or whose—expense? The story doesn’t explicitly pose these questions to government and NGO officials, but the answers are extremely clear. And they’re extremely infuriating, too.

Very, very long. But as a rage reader, this one took me only about 45 minutes. Your mileage will vary.

🪶 The Poet | Medium (Truly*Adventurous), Free

This was also a very strong contender for the spotlight. In fact, I went through most of last week convinced that this would top this list.

And I think that’s a testament to how Medium, despite whatever reputation it’s built over the years, can still host some top-tier longform journalism. (That said, the site doesn’t seem to have been doing much of that recently, but still).

I have no idea how these reporters find these borderline-unbelievable stories, but oh my goodness what a tale this is. I don’t want to give too much away, but suffice it to say that this one reads very much like a mystery thriller novel. And I’m pretty sure that even it this was fiction (it’s not, I checked, but even if), it would still be a banger. The writer has incredible prose, too, and has this incredible talent of building tension while slowly unravelling the truths of the story without giving too much away.

I’ve mostly outgrown my professional jealousy phase but sometimes there are those stories that really make me wish I were a better writer.

Very long, but a really gripping read. And a really enjoyable experience. Maybe set aside 40 minutes, at most.

🌱 The Biggest Green Scam in America | 5280, Free

There’s little else I find more infuriating in this world than people who take advantage of others’ honest efforts to build a better life and planet for themselves and their children.

And this story recounts the worst case of that in the U.S., and possibly one of the most egregious episodes worldwide. I can’t fathom how greedy and short-sighted and straight up evil some people are to see the current state of our planet and think hmm, I can scam people with this.

But I guess I shouldn’t be surprised anymore, should I? I work in biopharma media, and I see this sh*t everyday: Companies pretending that they’re doing what they do for the good of patients, supposedly, or to satisfy an unmet clinical need, whatever that means. But the truth is they’re only after profits.

Maybe that’s the norm in the current capitalistic catastrophe of an era that we live in?

Long, but this is again one for our rage readers out there. I think I blew through this in 35 ish minutes, but don’t fault yourself if you need more time.

🌀 ‘You Tried to Tell Yourself I Wasn’t Real’: What Happens When People With Acute Psychosis Meet The Voices in Their Heads? | The Guardian, Free

I wouldn’t read this right before bed, if I were you.

This is a really chilling story. It describes in sometimes very disturbing detail the sinister voices that people with psychosis hear. And it can get very graphic. So this is your content warning. If you are suffering from psychosis, or if you are otherwise in crisis and are at risk of harming yourself or others, please consider skipping this story. And please reach out for professional help.

At the core of it, this is a science story. It essentially just follows the field of avatar therapy through interviews with its trailblazers and some of the patients that had undergone the treatment. And in that sense, the story read a little bit stale to me, but that’s most likely because I’m heavily exposed to this sub-genre of journalism. Your experience may vary, and a friend (who recommended this story to me) told me that she found it very fascinating, emotional, and scary.

Pretty long, and if you’re not a science person, then this one might be a bit difficult to read. I’d set aside 40 minutes so you have enough time to digest its details.  

🪦 My Weekends With the Dead | Slate, Free

Incidentally, I read this on a realtively laid-back Saturday, while I was in a coffee shop a block-and-a-half away from a graveyard.

That said, I did find this hobby—going around and taking photos of tombstones to upload online—to be a bit strange, if not off-putting. At least at first. And you have to admit, it is a pretty creepy thing to do, and for many people (some even cited in the story), it can feel like a gross violation of their privacy. Which I get and agree with.

But then for other people, these photos can help close some generational wounds. That’s the case for the writer of this story, who had spent years of his life searching for his grandfather—before finding this exact tombstone online. These revelations can be painful, but often to a cathartic degree, helping many people move on with their lives.

Not long at all. And a really interesting read, if nothing else. I’d say 20 minutes at most. 

🧠 Math Is Still Catching Up to the Mysterious Genius of Srinivasa Ramanujan | Quanta Magazine, Free

I’ll be the first to admit: Math isn’t my thing. Like at all. And while I did ace a few calculus classes is college (which was really helpful for this story, I must say), many of the concepts here would have gone way over my head had it not been for the writer really gently holding my hand through the story.

That said, I still gave up on grasping some of the details here. No shame in admitting that I didn’t understand this story 100%. Good thing, though, that the idea behind this story is that it starts off on the back foot, too: The entire field of math has failed to completely embrace the brilliance of Srinivasa Ramanujan, whose genius is still just being vindicated.

And so that makes for a really interesting reading experience. As you begin to understand the math concepts in the story, you get to watch the characters experience a similar type of epiphany, beginning to realize for themselves jut how universal Ramanujan’s ideas truly are. I don’t know if the writer intended it to feel that way, but it’s a great thing nonetheless.

Not too long, but can get really, really difficult to read, especially if you’re the type to insist on completely digesting the entirety of a story. If so, then maybe you might need more than an hour for this. But I personally didn’t bother too much and took just around 30 minutes.

💊 Blow Up: How Half a Tonne of Cocaine Transformed the Life of an Island | The Guardian, Free

I’ll be honest: Now that I’m looking back on this story to write a quick blurb, I’m realizing that there’s nothing that really sticks out to me about it. Not a profound philosophical point that resonated, not a twisted, deranged narrative that kept me at the edge of my seat, not a standout character that I’ll remember for weeks.

BUT: I do remember this story being really good. I guess that means all of its elements came together really well, resulting in what I would say is one of my favorite reading experiences in weeks. Can’t put my finger on exactly why, though.

But this is one of those typical drug stories, only it illustrates the extreme degree to which drugs can destroy an otherwise peaceful community. And as is the experience with taking these illicit substances, the initial high is blissful—leading to crazy earnings for those who pushed the cocaine—and the fallout was catastrophic.

Not too long. Maybe around 20 minutes if you can stay focused? 

🪬 The Corpsewood Manor Murders | Oxford American, Free

You know, I’ve been trying to be careful with the True Crime stories that I recommend here. As much as I can, I try to steer clear of those that blatantly sensationalize tragedies for clicks. And I really thought that this story would be like that—it is, after all, centered on the murder of gender-queer victims who were also involved in the occult.

But I was very pleasantly surprised by how professional and compassionate the writer was, and how respectful he was to the victims’ hobbies, which we have no business over and are not in any way justifications for their brutal murders. I think this is a perfect example of how writers should approach sensitive subjects.

Not long at all. I finished this in 10 minutes, with distractions.

🌹 When Pop Culture Sells Dangerous Myths About Romance | The Atlantic, $

I have to say that I wasn’t completely floored by the arguments in this essay. Not that I disagree with them or anything, I just feel these are all very basic points. Aside from drawing connections between problematic pieces of art (songs, shows, movies) and their artists (many of whom are now under investigation for sexual assault), I feel like the writer’s analysis isn’t groundbreaking at all.

That said, I do recognize that this is an important piece of writing. Especially now that gender-based violence is making its way into the forefront of the zeitgeist (deservedly so). Plus I also understand that while these arguments may not seem profound to me personally, someone out there might find them eye-opening.

Not long at all, too. And I found it easy to read, too, though the subject matter might be heavy for some. Maybe set aside 15 minutes? Or 20.

Bonus Reco!

Another election read!

I’ll be honest, though: Much of this story went over my head. I don’t live in the U.S. and so I don’t really know the full depth of the Christian Right movement, and how strongly they’ve been influencing politics in recent years (months?). Nor do I really know who the people in this story are, though the writer does an incredible job of at least keeping me surface-level informed with the tiny bios dispersed throughout the story.

BUT that doesn’t mean that this was a bad story. Quite the opposite, actually. ProPublica knows its audience well. Well enough to understand that many of its readers will likely be mostly clueless about the subject, and so they really hold your hand through the story. The simple and discriptive headers and the aforementioned bios work really well to this end.

And now that I think about it, that makes perfect sense. This is, at its core, an explanatory history story. There really wasn’t much investigative work here—at least not to the degree that is typical of ProPublica stories—but instead they beefed it up with incredible archival research. And the result is a really clear line drawn through history, tracing the Christian movement from its roots up to its present-day branches and fruits.

That said, I do think that this story does simplify quite a bit. No history is that clean, and I’m willing to bet that many important events and nuances were brushed over for this story. Would be good if there’s another big project in the future about this subject that has more space for a fuller, messier history.

Oh another big plus for this story: The visuals were top-notch. It’s clear that the editorial board had planned this far in advance and had been able to invest a lot of resources into it. The web rendering and the illustrations were perfect. Really great work from the team.

Not long, which I think is unfortunate. The structure and visuals make this a really easy reading experience. Maybe 20 minutes, distractions included.

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! 👋