Whether or not you agree with the headline’s hyperbole, there’s no denying that steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs are more widespread than they’ve ever been—another foul tributary branching out from the social media cesspool. For GQ, Rosecrans Baldwin talks to the men and women who have taken the syringe route to Swollsville. Natty or not?...

Disney is a global cultural force. But in China, the Chinese population—not the company—sets the trends. At Shanghai Disney Resort, the most beloved character isn’t Mickey Mouse or Donald Duck, or princesses like Ariel or Belle or Elsa, but instead LinaBell, a pink fox. For The Dial, Lavender Au writes about the culture of Disney in China, and how,...

This story was funded by our members. Join Longreads and help us to support more writers. “You’re a goofy ****. I hate goofy ****s.”  As a child with large ears and prominent teeth, I was far from immune from the threat of bullies. Bullies latch onto a person’s most obvious weakness, and physical characteristics that differ...

Lydia Davis reflects on and describes the rare and singular experience of finding herself in total darkness while out in the country one evening—a feeling of expanse and quiet she now craves. I also thought more carefully, after that experience, about what darkness feels like. In describing deep darkness, I want to use words like velvet or...

Why did our ancestors draw on cave walls—in the dark? Izzy Wisher takes a fascinating look at the possible psychology behind cave drawing, and how it reflects the way we think to this day. Once she invites you to imagine yourself in a cave, you will be captivated: “You’re standing in a cave, tens of thousands of years ago.The damp, earthen smell mixes...

As Ann Neumann notes in her latest for The Baffler, morphine is the only reliable source of pain relief for those in palliative care, yet restrictions imposed in the aftermath of the opioid crisis have reduced demand, making the drugs less profitable for drug companies to produce. Shortages have meant that many people the world over are dying in needless...