Great stories thread

lcjjdnh · 07-10-2012, 10:56 AM

Not sure if there's much interest in this, but I love reading long-form journalism. Figured I'd start a thread and see if people would be interested in a place where we could swap our favorites. To start out, I'll highlight two I really enjoyed. One is a Grantland oral history on all-sports-talk radio station WFAN--you'll love it even if you've never heard the station before. The other is a piece on auditioning for the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Don Imus, Mike and the Mad Dog, and the fall and rise of the first all-sports talk station, WFAN - Grantland

The Audition

AnalBumCover · 07-10-2012, 11:15 AM

Love this stuff. I'll have to dig around for some of my own favorites.

AnalBumCover · 07-10-2012, 11:38 AM

Trial By Fire: Did Texas Execute an Innocent Man?

Cameron Todd Willingham, Texas, and the death penalty : The New Yorker

lcjjdnh · 07-10-2012, 11:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnalBumCover

Trial By Fire: Did Texas Execute an Innocent Man?

Cameron Todd Willingham, Texas, and the death penalty : The New Yorker

David Grann is great. He also wrote another one of of my favorites:
Rodrigo Rosenberg’s Murder in Guatemala : The New Yorker

AnalBumCover · 07-10-2012, 11:46 AM

The Untold Story of the World's Biggest Diamond Heist

The Great Cyberheist - NYTimes.com

I. J. Reilly · 07-10-2012, 11:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnalBumCover

Love this stuff. I'll have to dig around for some of my own favorites.

+1

I pretty much check longforms.org and longreads.com every day, I just wish I had the time to read everything that looked interesting.

DaddyTorgo · 07-10-2012, 12:36 PM

Seen the diamond heist one before...it's a frigging great read.

whomario · 07-10-2012, 12:41 PM

love reading those as well, what i also do is to convert them and read them on my kindle, have a pretty extensive collection on it by now.

another neat website that collects stories from a couple outlets is Byliner (often only a link to the source, still invaluable for me) : Byliner Spotlights (the spotlights are just awesome, showcasing articles on various topics all over the map)

couple articles i found great on topics that interest me :

http://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor....html?page=all

http://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor....html?page=all

both stories on Orca whales in captivity and the tragedies that ensued from that fact.

(in general there´s a lot of great stuff on there)

Crocodile Nowitzki - Page 1 - News - Dallas - Dallas Observer

great story on Nowitzki going off the map in Australia after the loss to the Warriors a while back

Roger Federer as Religious Experience - Tennis - New York Times

article on Federer from 2006 by the great Dabid Foster Wallace

2010 World Cup: David Vanole and the esophagus that saved U.S. soccer - ESPN Soccernet

awesome piece on a backup goalie from the 1990 USA soccer team.

ESPN - Not Found

story on a HS football team from Alaska

lcjjdnh · 08-08-2012, 10:24 AM

Two more recent ones I've enjoyed:

Vanity Fair on Microsoft. The HR system is a great example of MBAs run amok:

How Microsoft Lost Its Mojo: Steve Ballmer and Corporate Americaâ€™s Most Spectacular Decline | Business | Vanity Fair

New Yorker profile of Springsteen:

Bruce Springsteen at Sixty-Two : The New Yorker

I. J. Reilly · 08-08-2012, 11:36 AM

Here's one I thought this was a pretty good read, not exactly a feal good story though.

BEST OF THE SOUTH ESSAY: Church Is Wherever You Are :: Oxford American - The Southern Magazine of Good Writing

I. J. Reilly · 09-21-2012, 09:27 AM

I think John Jeremiah Sullivan may be my favor writer right now.

Where Is Cuba Going? - NYTimes.com

JonInMiddleGA · 09-21-2012, 09:41 AM

I thought this was pretty good. I spent a pretty good number of hours listening to Nancy during her heyday and had lost track of her. A rather sad story here, but pretty well told. I particularly liked the restraint the writer shows in avoiding an outright statement (or even sly reference) to what becomes obvious by the end vis a vis her love life (which is kinda relevant to the broader story)

Catching up with sports-talk radio host Nanci Donnellan, the Fabulous Sports Babe - Grantland

Ksyrup · 09-21-2012, 09:47 AM

I haven't heard that name is so long I had completely forgotten she existed.

Izulde · 09-21-2012, 04:12 PM

The Shame of College Sports - Taylor Branch - The Atlantic

I kicked off my Contemporary Issues in College Sports course with this article, which I thought did an excellent job of introducing students to the historical background and major current issues.

Scoobz0202 · 09-26-2012, 10:06 PM

Print - The Things That Carried Him - Esquire

Dutch · 09-26-2012, 10:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

I thought this was pretty good. I spent a pretty good number of hours listening to Nancy during her heyday and had lost track of her. A rather sad story here, but pretty well told. I particularly liked the restraint the writer shows in avoiding an outright statement (or even sly reference) to what becomes obvious by the end vis a vis her love life (which is kinda relevant to the broader story)

Catching up with sports-talk radio host Nanci Donnellan, the Fabulous Sports Babe - Grantland

Pretty cool, I had no idea other than what I'd heard on the radio. I didn't even recall she was on ESPN back in the day...although "The Fabulous Sports Babe" does seem to strike a nerve of some sort from pre-2010 (when I first heard her on the radio).

I. J. Reilly · 11-19-2012, 11:47 AM

I almost didn’t make it through the first few paragraphs of this one, the language seemed a little over the top. I’m glad I kept going, this is one damn good essay.

Personal History: THE FOURTH STATE OF MATTER : The New Yorker

britrock88 · 11-19-2012, 10:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by I. J. Reilly

I almost didn’t make it through the first few paragraphs of this one, the language seemed a little over the top. I’m glad I kept going, this is one damn good essay.

Personal History: THE FOURTH STATE OF MATTER : The New Yorker

Very powerful.

mckerney · 11-19-2012, 10:53 PM

Upon This Rock
Rock music used to be a safe haven for degenerates and rebels. Until it found Jesus

DaddyTorgo · 11-21-2012, 01:41 PM

The Hard Life of an N.F.L. Long Shot - NYTimes.com

did this get posted before??

Autumn · 11-21-2012, 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by I. J. Reilly

I almost didn’t make it through the first few paragraphs of this one, the language seemed a little over the top. I’m glad I kept going, this is one damn good essay.

Personal History: THE FOURTH STATE OF MATTER : The New Yorker

Wow. Really fantastic.

Glengoyne · 11-27-2012, 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by I. J. Reilly

I almost didn’t make it through the first few paragraphs of this one, the language seemed a little over the top. I’m glad I kept going, this is one damn good essay.

Personal History: THE FOURTH STATE OF MATTER : The New Yorker

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

The Hard Life of an N.F.L. Long Shot - NYTimes.com

did this get posted before??

Enjoyed both of these.

StLee · 11-27-2012, 10:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

The Hard Life of an N.F.L. Long Shot - NYTimes.com

did this get posted before??

Great article. I enjoyed it.

Desnudo · 11-28-2012, 08:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnalBumCover

The Untold Story of the World's Biggest Diamond Heist

The Great Cyberheist - NYTimes.com

I can't believe the cyber heist one didn't get more publicity at the time. I probably went through 3-4 cards from us bank and b of a in that time period.

Desnudo · 11-28-2012, 09:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lcjjdnh

Two more recent ones I've enjoyed:

Vanity Fair on Microsoft. The HR system is a great example of MBAs run amok:

How Microsoft Lost Its Mojo: Steve Ballmer and Corporate Americaâ€™s Most Spectacular Decline | Business | Vanity Fair

New Yorker profile of Springsteen:

Bruce Springsteen at Sixty-Two : The New Yorker

I can attest to the product killing that went on there. Sinofsky was one of the main culprits. It's interesting that their only success the last decade was a product that was developed with near autonomy. The article fails to cover the success of the Xbox which takes away from the validity a little. The rest was spot on.

Frank Sinatra has a cold
Frank Sinatra Has a Cold - Gay Talese - Best Profile of Sinatra - Esquire

britrock88 · 11-28-2012, 11:25 AM

Looks like there's some good stuff for when I get a chance to read more long-form...

Meanwhile, I just wrapped up with this one:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/02/ma...pagewanted=all

(About a Japanese biologist and his unique research with a regenerative species of jellyfish.)

Desnudo · 12-01-2012, 02:38 PM

Punks Jump Up To Get Stopped and Frisked: What I Learned from Jimmy NuÃ±ez

Dreghorn2 · 12-02-2012, 07:04 AM

Thanks to all that posted in this thread, some great reading.

lighthousekeeper · 12-18-2012, 11:26 AM

Joshua Foer: John Quijada and Ithkuil, the Language He Invented : The New Yorker

Izulde · 12-21-2012, 07:57 PM

Not long-form, but still worth reading.

Page Not Found - Yahoo!

07-10-2012, 11:15 AM	#2
AnalBumCover College Starter Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: La Mirada, CA	Love this stuff. I'll have to dig around for some of my own favorites. __________________ ABC's Game Giveaway list

07-10-2012, 11:38 AM	#3
AnalBumCover College Starter Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: La Mirada, CA	Trial By Fire: Did Texas Execute an Innocent Man? Cameron Todd Willingham, Texas, and the death penalty : The New Yorker __________________ ABC's Game Giveaway list

07-10-2012, 11:46 AM	#5
AnalBumCover College Starter Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: La Mirada, CA	The Untold Story of the World's Biggest Diamond Heist The Great Cyberheist - NYTimes.com __________________ ABC's Game Giveaway list

07-10-2012, 12:36 PM	#7
DaddyTorgo Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Massachusetts	Seen the diamond heist one before...it's a frigging great read. __________________ Get bent whoever hacked my pw and changed my signature.

07-10-2012, 12:41 PM	#8
whomario Pro Starter Join Date: Jul 2007	love reading those as well, what i also do is to convert them and read them on my kindle, have a pretty extensive collection on it by now. another neat website that collects stories from a couple outlets is Byliner (often only a link to the source, still invaluable for me) : Byliner Spotlights (the spotlights are just awesome, showcasing articles on various topics all over the map) couple articles i found great on topics that interest me : http://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor....html?page=all http://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor....html?page=all both stories on Orca whales in captivity and the tragedies that ensued from that fact. (in general there´s a lot of great stuff on there) Crocodile Nowitzki - Page 1 - News - Dallas - Dallas Observer great story on Nowitzki going off the map in Australia after the loss to the Warriors a while back Roger Federer as Religious Experience - Tennis - New York Times article on Federer from 2006 by the great Dabid Foster Wallace 2010 World Cup: David Vanole and the esophagus that saved U.S. soccer - ESPN Soccernet awesome piece on a backup goalie from the 1990 USA soccer team. ESPN - Not Found story on a HS football team from Alaska __________________ “The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes "Awww!”

08-08-2012, 10:24 AM	#9
lcjjdnh College Prospect Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: NJ	Two more recent ones I've enjoyed: Vanity Fair on Microsoft. The HR system is a great example of MBAs run amok: How Microsoft Lost Its Mojo: Steve Ballmer and Corporate Americaâ€™s Most Spectacular Decline \| Business \| Vanity Fair New Yorker profile of Springsteen: Bruce Springsteen at Sixty-Two : The New Yorker

08-08-2012, 11:36 AM	#10
I. J. Reilly College Prospect Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: An Oregonian deep in the heart of Texas.	Here's one I thought this was a pretty good read, not exactly a feal good story though. BEST OF THE SOUTH ESSAY: Church Is Wherever You Are :: Oxford American - The Southern Magazine of Good Writing

09-21-2012, 09:27 AM	#11
I. J. Reilly College Prospect Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: An Oregonian deep in the heart of Texas.	I think John Jeremiah Sullivan may be my favor writer right now. Where Is Cuba Going? - NYTimes.com

09-21-2012, 09:41 AM	#12
JonInMiddleGA Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Behind Enemy Lines in Athens, GA	I thought this was pretty good. I spent a pretty good number of hours listening to Nancy during her heyday and had lost track of her. A rather sad story here, but pretty well told. I particularly liked the restraint the writer shows in avoiding an outright statement (or even sly reference) to what becomes obvious by the end vis a vis her love life (which is kinda relevant to the broader story) Catching up with sports-talk radio host Nanci Donnellan, the Fabulous Sports Babe - Grantland __________________ "I lit another cigarette. Unless I specifically inform you to the contrary, I am always lighting another cigarette." - from a novel by Martin Amis

09-21-2012, 09:47 AM	#13
Ksyrup This guy has posted so much, his fingers are about to fall off. Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: In Absentia	I haven't heard that name is so long I had completely forgotten she existed. __________________ M's pitcher Miguel Batista: "Now, I feel like I've had everything. I've talked pitching with Sandy Koufax, had Kenny G play for me. Maybe if I could have an interview with God, then I'd be served. I'd be complete."

09-21-2012, 04:12 PM	#14
Izulde Head Coach Join Date: Sep 2004	The Shame of College Sports - Taylor Branch - The Atlantic I kicked off my Contemporary Issues in College Sports course with this article, which I thought did an excellent job of introducing students to the historical background and major current issues. __________________ 2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty)

09-26-2012, 10:06 PM	#15
Scoobz0202 Pro Rookie Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Dayton, Ohio	Print - The Things That Carried Him - Esquire

11-19-2012, 11:47 AM	#17
I. J. Reilly College Prospect Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: An Oregonian deep in the heart of Texas.	I almost didn’t make it through the first few paragraphs of this one, the language seemed a little over the top. I’m glad I kept going, this is one damn good essay. Personal History: THE FOURTH STATE OF MATTER : The New Yorker

11-19-2012, 10:53 PM	#19
mckerney Coordinator Join Date: Oct 2000	Upon This Rock Rock music used to be a safe haven for degenerates and rebels. Until it found Jesus

11-21-2012, 01:41 PM	#20
DaddyTorgo Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Massachusetts	The Hard Life of an N.F.L. Long Shot - NYTimes.com did this get posted before?? __________________ Get bent whoever hacked my pw and changed my signature. Last edited by DaddyTorgo : 11-21-2012 at 01:42 PM.

11-28-2012, 11:25 AM	#26
britrock88 Pro Starter Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Madison, WI	Looks like there's some good stuff for when I get a chance to read more long-form... Meanwhile, I just wrapped up with this one: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/02/ma...pagewanted=all (About a Japanese biologist and his unique research with a regenerative species of jellyfish.) Last edited by britrock88 : 11-28-2012 at 11:26 AM.

12-01-2012, 02:38 PM	#27
Desnudo Coordinator Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Here and There	Punks Jump Up To Get Stopped and Frisked: What I Learned from Jimmy NuÃ±ez

12-02-2012, 07:04 AM	#28
Dreghorn2 n00b Join Date: May 2011	Thanks to all that posted in this thread, some great reading.

12-18-2012, 11:26 AM	#29
lighthousekeeper College Starter Join Date: Oct 2000	Joshua Foer: John Quijada and Ithkuil, the Language He Invented : The New Yorker __________________ ...

12-21-2012, 07:57 PM	#30
Izulde Head Coach Join Date: Sep 2004	Not long-form, but still worth reading. Page Not Found - Yahoo! __________________ 2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty)

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