The Best Articles I Have Read #

These are some of the best articles I have read, those that have made me think or feel an emotion more strongly than I am used to. These may be news articles, but are more likely to be phrased in the form of stories. They are organized in terms of publication date.

2023 #

Paul Bowles in Tangier
I’m not really sure how to explain this article. I just found it to be interesting, even though I haven’t read any books by Paul Bowles. It’s good!

I Asked New York Cabbies Who They Were Talking to on the Phone
I’m sure a lot of people have wondered who their cab drivers are continuously talking to on the phone. This sheds some light on it and explains some of it through, an albeit small, population of cab drivers.

The Man Who Invented Fifteen Hundred Necktie Knots
This is just a fun article. For one, the story of the man himself is interesting and enjoyable in it of itself. And then additionally the mathematical presentation and the concepts therein are additionally quite fascinating.

We’re More Ghosts Than People
This provides an interesting juxtaposition between the playing of a video game and the life of the narrator, particularly with respect to the attempt to redeem oneself.

The Forgotten End of the Second World War
This is incredibly fascinating. I should begin by stating that the information presented in this article should be known and taught to students in America, unfortunately, it often isn’t. This discusses, in brief, some information about the Pacific theatre of the war, and some details that are quite critical to the development of modern society since then, that should be known by much more Americans.

The End of the English Major
A lot was discussed in this article - a lot that I want to explore, think about, and write about. Generally it deals with humanitites majors today and the shifts they are facing. These shifts are related to both society’s view of them, their ability to adapt to changing interests (and desires), and some thought about its future. In particular with this last point, there was some thought going to the idea that the humanities could be the future, which is something I really want to write about.

Giving Bambi the Boot
More information about deer, their societal view, and the danger they pose to certain environments that I could have ever asked for. Also, one of the few articles I have been able to view on a website with almost no bloat.

How to Keep a Great Magazine Going
This discusses the history of a magazine I had not known much about that has recently celebrated its 50th year. Given all the struggles journalism, news reporting, and magazines have gone through in this digital age, reading about a magazine trying to eke out a world within it, and seeing it survive, is lovely.

Rereading Russian Classics in the Shadow of the Ukraine War
Just a lot of interesting and thought provoking discussion about Russia’s historical relationship with Ukraine through the lens of Russian literature. I think this article gives a lot of explanation towards Ukranians views towards certain authors (Alexander Pushkin in particular). It also sets up the reading of certain authors in a light I would not have considered (like Nikolai Gogol’s The Nose).

What We Search For
Both an article about the long and ongoing search for a missing person in California’s Eastern Sierra and a story about coming to terms with loss. When all that could possibly have gone wrong just has, what can you do?

A Philosophy Professor’s Final Class
I don’t have much knowledge in the world of philosophy, but this article that goes through the life of Richard J. Bernstein and contrasts that with his final lectures was extremely engaging. It manages to tie together history with philosophy in a way that makes everything come alive.

2022 #

“That Girl is Going to Get Herself Killed”
Moreso a warning of how dangerous the wilderness is, even for professionals. The story is pretty acurately captured by one of the opening lines:

Either way, statistically one of you will die this summer.

2020 #

So Ordered: The Messy Nature of Dress Codes
This articles captures a lot of my feelings and sentiments about dress codes, and especially work environments that “don’t have a dress code”. I am generally someone who either dresses too formally or too fashion, so this did resonate with me.

Robert Pattinson: A Dispatch From Isolation
I don’t generally read a lot of articles about celebrities, but this was recommended to me and ended up being so funny I couldn’t help but enjoy it. It really is the mind of a manic.

2016 #

Founding Farmers Review: Zero stars for the mega-popular D.C. eatery
As a local to the DMV area, this review brings me much joy.

2014 #

China Expedition 2013: A Tale of Typhoon-Tossed Kudzu
Do you want to learn a lot more about Kudzu than you ever needed to know? Then this article is for you! This actually was a pretty enjoyable article in it of itself, but it did also help to inform some of my poetry, so I could be biased, but that is why I’m sharing all of these articles anyhow.

2011 #

Crunch
Everything one would ever want to know about how the most delicious apples are created and the thought process behind how they live and die.

2000 #

On Impact
A story about Stephen King, and about learning to write again. The article touches upon a lot of aspects of his life, things that one commonly hears from the perspectives of others.

1994 #

My First Flame
A historical mainstay of the internet, and what it was like being on the recieving end of one at the beginning. It is interesting to see discussion of an internet that feels like the “wild wild west”, so to speak, especially considering that all of this discussion was from before I was even born. It lends a certain form of mystique to the story.

1968 #

The Events in May: A Paris Notebook – II
I’m still trying to find a way for me to get access to reading the first part, but this itself was incredible. It is effecively Mavis Gallant’s journal of her experiences and time spent in Paris during the protests of the 60s. This is an incredible compendium that, at least to me, appears to truly capture a lot of the emotions and experiences and beliefs of Parisians during the protests.