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Hi 👋 

Welcome back to The Lazy Reader, where we curate the best longform journalism across the Internet ✨

I don’t like playing favorites, but I gotta say: This week’s list has got to be the best I’ve assembled in recent memory. Every single story on here is a hard-hitter, and could easily have been the spotlight pick any other week.

My feeds for sourcing TLR stories are far from perfect, but every once in a while they churn out hit after hit after hit. Definitely made my week that much more bearable.

A quick peek at some of the stories in this edition:

• A profile of probably the most well-known performance thief.

• An essay on migration and where we’re heading from here.

• Psychiatry vs psychotherapy: Is there even a debate to be had?

Also, if you missed the Valentine’s reading list last Thursday, you can go read that here.

As I say in that newsletter, I’m trying out shorter blurbs. I’ve been feeling a bit insecure about them lately. I don’t know if they’re actually helpful to you guys, or if they get in the way of your TLR experience. Let me know which you prefer! Always happy to receive emails from readers 🥰

Happy reading and see you again next Monday!

PS - Thanks again to 1440 Media for sponsoring this week’s newsletter. Please, please consider clicking their ad below the fold (or above under the banner). It’s a really easy and free way of helping TLR out! Thank you!

Story in Spotlight

I’m not gonna evade accountability here: I know this story was targeted at me. And I accept the critique whole-heartedly.

Because on a very fundamental level, it’s correct. TLR only adds to the noise online, and even if I beleive that I fall on the right, just side of things, it doesn’t change the fact that I’m still essentially only shouting into the void. Nothing concrete is achieved. No real progress is made. Just words and links shared.

And that’s a hard pill for me to take down, especially since I’ve always highly valued lenses that centered material impacts over theory. Praxis.

I guess I have been a bit too complacent when it comes to activism and advocacy in recent years. I used to put my body on the line all the time when I was younger; used to actually go out and do something for the world. Now I just stay at home and go online, content in knowing that my convictions are correct. I relish being right more than I feel the need to be impactful.

Unfortunately, as is very clear, that’s just not enough anymore. (It never was.)

And so even if it’s two-ish months late, that’s going to be one of my biggest resolutions for 2025: get up off my ass, go out, and actually get something done. Be the change I want to see in the world, as cheesy as that sounds.

Maybe I can move TLR toward something like that in the future, too. (There are ideas, not quite plans just yet; but I’m keeping those close to my chest for now.)

Deep, deep gratitude to this article for waking me up.

Not too long—at least, not as long as our usual spotlight stories are. But really, really important. Set aside 20 minutes for this, at most.

The Longform List

The Girl in the Window | Tampa Bay Times, Free

2008 Pulitzer Prize winner for feature writing—and it shows. Incredible, heartbreaking story of parental neglect, and of the immense capacity of people for love. Really expert reporting, writing, structuring, and a masterclass in pulling off sensitive stories with heart. I can only dream of being this good.

Update here, but I haven’t read this yet.

An OpenAI Whistleblower was Found Dead in his Apartment. Now his Mother Wants Answers | Fortune, $

Jury’s still out on the case, but it’s absolutely horrifying how those at the top are able to snuff out life so easily—Balaji isn’t the only whistleblower who’s mysteriously died recently. Great story interrogating the circumstances of his death and the pain that it’s left in the aftermath.

The Dog Thief Killings | Roads & Kingdoms, Free

Never heard of Roads & Kingdoms before but consider me a convert! Incredible piece all-around: thorough and tireless reporting, confident and gripping prose, and arguments that raise important questions and prompt self-assessment. Eating dogs is also probably the perfect subject for all of those.

Barely a Trace | Cipher Magazine, Free

Also never heard of Cipher Magazine before, but also now very much a fan. Not the most exhaustive nor most harrowing nor most emotional nor most poetic piece about a plane crash, but definitely still very effective. There’s something about its quiet, self-contained vibe that just works.

Psychiatry Wars: The Lawsuit That Put Psychoanalysis on Trial | The Guardian, Free

Interesting history piece on what is probably the most misunderstood and weaponized field of medicine today. Impressive levels of research, though nothing really special narrative-wise. Would have wanted some more nuance from the writer, but I understand the apprehension to publish your own non-expert takes on technical stuff.

Something Extraordinary Is Happening All Over the World | The New York Times, $

All told, a good opinion piece on global migration. Though I’m always wary of authoritative pieces on highly complex, highly historical, highly interconnected subjects.

Some loaded critique: As with most analyses from U.S.-centric institutions (Media, academe, etc), I think this one glosses over some important nuances, especially regarding the global south and economic neocolonialism. Unfortunate, too, given Polgreen’s background—but maybe there’s only so much you can fit into an NYT opinion piece.

Pardon for stretching this blurb out a bit.

Inside the Bust That Took Down Pavel Durov—and Upended Telegram | WIRED, $

Typical WIRED feature, which is to say that it’s good, well-written, and very interesting (the pub has a knack for sniffing out strange yet important stories)—but not much else. Found myself wanting something more, something deeper from this. What will it mean for Big Tech? What of Meta and X? Will they also start being responsible for content on their platforms?

A Pickpocket’s Tale | The New Yorker, $

Cookie-cutter profile, done with the usual caliber of excellence that The New Yorker is known for. Plus points for being about something very interesting: A theater thief who steals for performance—and who wants to leverage his skills to do something bigger.

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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! 👋