Apr 26, 2010
Longform: Good, long journalism, 4000 words and up
is my new favorite site:
We post articles, past and present, that we think are too long and too interesting to be read on a web browser.
We started this site to bring together our enthusiasm for both great longform reads and the excellent Instapaper reader.
is edited by Aaron Lammer & Max Linsky.
I just love long non-fiction articles from magazines and newspapers. Some say that blogging has really killed this form of journalism off, but I happen to think that people are willing to read longer pieces as long as the content is interesting and well-written. In a world littered with microblogging via and shortened attention spans, this service is really refreshing.
Longform is definitely going to become a daily visit for me. Here are some interesting picks from the site:
SUSAN ORLEAN / NEW YORKER / FEB 2008
An artist takes on “the umbrella problem,” which runs so deep the U.S. Patent Office has four full-time examiners dedicated solely to assessing ideas for umbrella improvement.
MARK BOWDEN / VANITY FAIR / MAY 2010
David Petraeus, father of the surge and the uncontested “most competitive” man in the military.
SIMON WINCHESTER / THE GUARDIAN / APR 2010
The volcanic ash cloud from Eyjafjallajokull has caused travel chaos and misery. But we were lucky. An eruption in the future could wipe out the human race.
KEN AULETTA / NEW YORKER / APR 2010
“Amazon has done a great job,” Jobs said. “We’re going to stand on their shoulders and go a little bit farther.” Or they were planning to stand on Amazon’s neck and press down hard.