Another killer @atavist.com feature, and such a testimony to worker power and community: These friends blew the whistle on unsafe conditions at a facility that put everyone at risk, and this incredible saga needs to be a Netflix series immediately.

The Whistleblowers Who Exposed Decades of Nuclear Lies

In Paducah, Kentucky, workers at a revered uranium-enrichment plant were exposed to dangerous levels of radiation. Management assured them nothing was wrong. Then four friends risked everything to rev...

magazine.atavist.com

Extraordinary story from the @atavist.com: "Fowler and Deuschle have never shared their story in full—the details of what it was like to live, breathe, and possibly die from their commitment to the truth."

The Whistleblowers Who Exposed Decades of Nuclear Lies

In Paducah, Kentucky, workers at a revered uranium-enrichment plant were exposed to dangerous levels of radiation. Management assured them nothing was wrong. Then four friends risked everything to rev...

magazine.atavist.com

"Was the dust bad for the environment? Maybe. But everyone at the plant acted like it was harmless. To prove this, a plant manager once sprinkled some on his sandwich and ate it." Issue no. 178, from award-winning writers Holbrook Mohr and Mitch Weiss. magazine.atavist.com/2026/toxic-l...

The Whistleblowers Who Exposed Decades of Nuclear Lies

In Paducah, Kentucky, workers at a revered uranium-enrichment plant were exposed to dangerous levels of radiation. Management assured them nothing was wrong. Then four friends risked everything to rev...

magazine.atavist.com

"What made Jenkins angriest was the memory of waking up each morning to find his bedsheets stained pale green. Residue from the plant had come right out of his pores." The story of 4 friends who risked everything to reveal deadly dangers at a U.S. nuclear site. magazine.atavist.com/2026/toxic-l...

The Whistleblowers Who Exposed Decades of Nuclear Lies

In Paducah, Kentucky, workers at a revered uranium-enrichment plant were exposed to dangerous levels of radiation. Management assured them nothing was wrong. Then four friends risked everything to rev...

magazine.atavist.com

Brave reporting by Alex Ronan for the @atavist.com A difficult but important read that makes you think – as good stories do –about what you would do in the same situation. No easy answers here. magazine.atavist.com/2026/pilands...

The Extremist in the Family

The Kerrs were devoted to one another and to their faith. But when one of their own rejected modern medicine in the name of God, they faced a dire question: What if her children ever needed a doctor t...

magazine.atavist.com

Gawd. If you have the stomach for it, read this, a kind of slow-motion horror story about how fundamentalist religion pulls people in, makes them monsters, destroys their relationships, & traumatizes or kills their children.

The Extremist in the Family

The Kerrs were devoted to one another and to their faith. But when one of their own rejected modern medicine in the name of God, they faced a dire question: What if her children ever needed a doctor t...

magazine.atavist.com

🙏

Sandy Ernest Allen@sandyernestallen.bsky.social · 4w ago

Wanted to mention just a handful more (again prompt is outlets worth looking into/supporting if folks are wanting to improve their media diets). Some of these publish more like features/essays/etc.: @atavist.com @thebeliever.net @therumpus.net @literaryhub.bsky.social @themarshallproject.org ...

“It could be easy to say that we were neglectful,” Rachel said as she started to cry, “but this isn’t the end of the story yet.” Twice she said, “This isn’t over.” Twice she insisted, “It’s not too late.” *** A wrenching read on faith, family, and grief. magazine.atavist.com/2026/pilands...

The Extremist in the Family

The Kerrs were devoted to one another and to their faith. But when one of their own rejected modern medicine in the name of God, they faced a dire question: What if her children ever needed a doctor t...

magazine.atavist.com

The Pilands let their infant daughter die of an easily preventable illness. Then they waited for God to bring her back to life. A powerful, nuanced story of family, faith, murder, and grief from Alex Ronan. magazine.atavist.com/2026/pilands...

The Extremist in the Family

The Kerrs were devoted to one another and to their faith. But when one of their own rejected modern medicine in the name of God, they faced a dire question: What if her children ever needed a doctor t...

magazine.atavist.com

Hey! You need to read Alex Ronan's incredible piece for @atavist.com ... THEN, come CNFriday, you're gonna listen to Ep. 535 of ye ol' CNF Pod to hear us break it down. Be forewarned, this story is ... a tough one. Maddening and tragic. magazine.atavist.com/2026/pilands...

The Extremist in the Family

The Kerrs were devoted to one another and to their faith. But when one of their own rejected modern medicine in the name of God, they faced a dire question: What if her children ever needed a doctor t...

magazine.atavist.com

Not sure how Barry Meier found this story about two girls taken on the run by their parents, but I am glad he did. Another great one from @atavist.com magazine.atavist.com/2026/mccann-...

The Fugitive Childhood of a Cocaine Smuggler's Daughters

When their parents ripped two young sisters from their privileged lives, gave them fake names, and took them on the lam, they thought it was because their father was in trouble with the IRS. It would ...

magazine.atavist.com

🥳

Seyward Darby@seywarddarby.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Delighted that Masha Hamilton has won a Society for Features Journalism prize for her @atavist.com story about driving the length of I-95 with her son. This citation makes me smile. magazine.atavist.com/2025/america...

Meredith and Erin grew up on the lam, and for a very long time, they had no idea why. It wasn’t until many years later that they discovered the truth about their father. A gripping story by investigative reporter Barry Meier & our top pick this week. magazine.atavist.com/2026/mccann-...

The Fugitive Childhood of a Cocaine Smuggler's Daughters

When their parents ripped two young sisters from their privileged lives, gave them fake names, and took them on the lam, they thought it was because their father was in trouble with the IRS. It would ...

magazine.atavist.com

Thanks for reading! And we love libraries!

SK Winnicki, PhD 🏳️‍⚧️@skwinnicki.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Library can't get me access to @atavist.com though, but that's one magazine I'll absolutely bite the bullet and pay the (checks notes) $2/month to access. I read, conservatively, 20+ magazines a month, but the one article they publish is generally my favorite read by far each month

"The McCanns vanished, as did Sally and Steve. It wasn’t that hard; they were living in the golden age of fugitives." Read an excerpt from the new @atavist.com story by Barry Meier: longreads.com/2026/06/04/c...

The Fugitive Childhood of a Cocaine Smuggler's Daughters - Longreads

"When their parents ripped two young sisters from their privileged lives, gave them fake names, and took them on the lam, they thought it was because their father was in trouble with the IRS. It would...

longreads.com

Editing my conversation with Mac Montandon. Here's his piece, which originally ran in Gawker in 2013, revived here by @atavist.com

My Brother's Murder

We hear about the shootings that grab headlines, but what about those that don’t?

magazine.atavist.com

Love to see Carlos Barragan's book on this list. It grew out of "The Romance Scammer on My Sofa," an amazing piece he wrote for @atavist.com: magazine.atavist.com/2023/the-rom... www.nytimes.com/2026/05/28/b...

The Nonfiction Everyone Will Be Reading This Summer

nytimes.com

Barry Meier really is one of the best to ever do it, as his latest, for @atavist.com, demonstrates

The Fugitive Childhood of a Cocaine Smuggler's Daughters

When their parents ripped two young sisters from their privileged lives, gave them fake names, and took them on the lam, they thought it was because their father was in trouble with the IRS. It would ...

magazine.atavist.com

"Erin’s only hope of learning the truth about the events that had shattered her childhood was getting the boxes before the garbage collectors did." The latest issue of @atavist.com is a real stranger than fiction banger from the great Barry Meier. magazine.atavist.com/2026/mccann-...

The Fugitive Childhood of a Cocaine Smuggler's Daughters

When their parents ripped two young sisters from their privileged lives, gave them fake names, and took them on the lam, they thought it was because their father was in trouble with the IRS. It would ...

magazine.atavist.com

My Friday newsletter for @niemanstoryboard.org: National Magazine Award winners, @atavist.com @drewphilp.bsky.social @foodandwine.com, @sarahlkaufman.bsky.social niemanstoryboard.org/2026/05/22/s... #booksky #longreads

Scenes from National Magazine Award winners - Nieman Storyboard

Plus: More AI cautionary tales, how to create a book x-ray, and a Nieman Fellow's new book on writing

niemanstoryboard.org

A thousand congratulations to the great @drewphilp.bsky.social for winning the National Magazine Award in reporting for this harrowing, deeply humane story in @atavist.com . Richly deserved! magazine.atavist.com/2025/there-w... @seywarddarby.bsky.social

"There Will Be No Mercy": On the Frontlines of War in Ethiopia

When Ethiopia’s government launched a brutal two-year war in Tigray, the region’s largest hospital was overrun with victims. The medical staff risked everything to treat the wounded—and believe the wo...

magazine.atavist.com

The latest in @atavist.com's Revived series—which breathes new life into stories lost to dead links and shuttered publications—is "A Hollywood Ending" by @maccabeem.bsky.social, originally published by Gawker in 2013. Read the introduction on @longreads.com: longreads.com/2026/05/21/h...

‘Nothing Together’ - Longreads

My brother’s murder and its aftermath.

longreads.com

Thrilled, honored, and frankly verklempt that @atavist.com won the National Magazine Award for reporting. Congrats to all the winners and nominees, especially in our category—exceptional work all around. Long live magazine journalism. asme.memberclicks.net/asme-announc...

I really love the care, time, and resources that @atavist.com dedicates to their incredible longform narrative features; they are always delicious reads.

The Undercover Agent Who Posed as a Taxidermist to Bust Colorado's Worst Poachers

The San Luis Valley was a wildlife poacher’s paradise. Then George Morrison arrived.

magazine.atavist.com

It's a special mid-month issue of @atavist.com—the latest installment in our Revived series, which breathes new life into stories lost to dead links and dead outlets. Thrilled to bring back this 2013 piece from Gawker by @maccabeem.bsky.social. magazine.atavist.com/2026/a-holly...

My Brother's Murder

We hear about the shootings that grab headlines, but what about those that don’t?

magazine.atavist.com

Pitch (and read!!!) Atavist! They're great. In my personal experience, you also get super valuable feedback from a rejection. Can't speak highly enough of the team there.

The Atavist Magazine@atavist.com · 3mo ago

We haven't done a wide call for pitches in a while. So here we are, calling! Submissions info at this link: magazine.atavist.com/submissions A flavor of our stories here: magazine.atavist.com/archive cc @studyhall.bsky.social

The Atavist is on my "dream publications to pitch someday" list, so if you have a story that needs to be in the 8,000-30,000 words range, you should absolutely pitch so we can all read it:

The Atavist Magazine@atavist.com · 3mo ago

We haven't done a wide call for pitches in a while. So here we are, calling! Submissions info at this link: magazine.atavist.com/submissions A flavor of our stories here: magazine.atavist.com/archive cc @studyhall.bsky.social

“Once they got faith in us, we couldn’t get rid of them. I mean, they just would not stop killing.” magazine.atavist.com/2026/san-lui...

The Undercover Agent Who Posed as a Taxidermist to Bust Colorado's Worst Poachers

The San Luis Valley was a wildlife poacher’s paradise. Then George Morrison arrived.

magazine.atavist.com

We haven't done a wide call for pitches in a while. So here we are, calling! Submissions info at this link: magazine.atavist.com/submissions A flavor of our stories here: magazine.atavist.com/archive cc @studyhall.bsky.social

“You will have to survive using your own wits, common sense, and the god of your choice.” New @atavist.com story is here! magazine.atavist.com/2026/san-lui...

The Undercover Agent Who Posed as a Taxidermist to Bust Colorado's Worst Poachers

The San Luis Valley was a wildlife poacher’s paradise. Then George Morrison arrived.

magazine.atavist.com