The Daily Beast’s Best Longreads of 2012
The Daily Beast picks the best journalism, essays, and reviews of the year. By David Sessions.
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Grace in Broken ArrowKiera Feldman, This Land
How lust, greed, and denial corroded an Oklahoma megachurch and shattered the lives of its victims and their families.
The Innocent Man (Part One, Part Two) Pamela Colloff, Texas Monthly
On Aug. 13, 1986, Michael Morton came home from work to discover that his wife had been brutally murdered in their bed. His nightmare had only begun.
The Yankee ComandanteDavid Grann, The New Yorker
A story of love, revolution, and betrayal.
The TryhardsFreddie de Boer, The New Inquiry
Liberal pundits are surprisingly radical in their critiques of American meritocracy. But their material comfort and proximity to power forces them to compromise their real convictions.
The Story of a SuicideIan Parker, The New Yorker
Two college roommates, a webcam, and a tragedy.
Come On, Feel the BuzzAlex Pareene, The Baffler
How Politico sold out journalism and ushered in post-truth politics.
Just One More GameSam Anderson, The New York Times Magazine
The hyper-addictive, time-sucking, relationship-busting, mind-crushing power and allure of silly digital games.
Why Women Still Can’t Have It AllAnne-Marie Slaughter, The Atlantic
A Princeton professor and former Obama adviser provoked an explosive debate with this essay arguing that, absent a significant rearrangement of the American workplace, it will remain impossible for women to have high-powered careers and successfully raise children at the same time. Plus, read responses from Rebecca Traister, E.J. Graff, Hanna Rosin, Lauren Sandler, and Lindsay Beyerstein.
The Second Coming Christ ControversyTed Olsen and Ken Smith, Christianity Today
David Jang has become an increasingly influential figure in Asian and now American evangelicalism. He and his followers have founded media outlets and a Christian college. But is he telling his followers he’s Christ?
In Rust Belt, a Teenager’s Climb From PovertyAnne Hull, The Washington Post
A 17-year-old girl in troubled New Castle, Pa., goes to extraordinary lengths to escape her mother’s fate.
My Escape From Sea OrgAbigail Pesta, The Daily Beast
Astra Woodcraft grew up in the militaristic arm of Scientology known as the Sea Org—until she broke free. She tells the story of her break from the secretive organization where Suri Cruise was rumored to be headed.