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“Still Richard” (31 Longreads in 31 Days, Day Five)
After recently absorbing long stories about murder, rape, and child death, I desperately needed a change of pace. So I welcomed the chance to read a profile of 64-year-old Richard Simmons, “Still Richard,” by David Davis for SBNation.com. I was suprised to find out that Simmons was still out there, actively teaching aerobics classes and…
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“Fatal Distraction” (31 Longreads in 31 Days, Day Four)
I started reading Gene Weingarten’s “Fatal Distraction” in March 2009. I didn’t get to the final page until yesterday. My first attempt to read the story stopped at page six. I couldn’t bring myself to finish it. “Fatal Distraction” is about people whose children die after being forgotten and left in cars, something that happens…
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“Urban Meyer Will be Home for Dinner” (31 Longreads in 31 Days, Day Three)
Sportswriting is often overlooked as a source of serious journalism, including long form narrative nonfiction. Yet many of my favorite nonfiction writers — Gary Smith, Gay Talese, Buzz Bissinger — have focused much of their talents on the world of sports. Wright Thompson’s “Urban Meyer Will Be Home for Dinner,” from the August 6 edition of…
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Getting lost in “Lost in the Waves”
I finally got around to reading Justin Heckert’s 2009 Men’s Journal feature, “Lost in the Waves,” which details how a father and his 12-year-old autistic son get swept out to the open sea. It’s a gripping, suspenseful, and moving story. One of the best nonfiction features I’ve read. Here’s one critical scene in the middle…