“When you go back and you look at the actual documents, many people have said since then that it was about states' rights, but really the only significant state right that people were arguing about in 1860 was the right to own what was known as slave property — property and slaves unimpeded — and to be able to travel with that property anywhere that you wanted to. So it's clear that this was really about slavery in almost every significant way, but we've sort of pushed that to the side because of course we want to believe that our country is a country that's always stood for freedom. And ... certainly it's difficult for some Southern Americans to accept that their ancestors fought a war on behalf of slavery. And I think that Northerners really, for the cause of national reconciliation, decided to push that aside — decided to accept Southerners' denials or demurrals.”
—Adam Goodheart on why people still argue over the cause of the Civil War. The war began 152 years ago today, on April 12, 1861.
It kind of bothers me when people call their subsequent month-long intervals of their relationship, their ‘anniversary’. Because in Latin, anniversary is derived from the adjective, ‘anniversarius’ (returning yearly). Loosely it has been accepted as meaning “they’ve been together for a month” or whatever, but I feel as if this has only come about out of ignorance and incorrect application. I know it’s not really that big of a deal, but the degradation of language really bugs me for some reason.
Celebrating Four Years of Longreads
Longreads just celebrated its fourth birthday, and it’s been a thrill to watch this community grow since we introduced this service and Twitter hashtag in 2009. Thank you to everyone who participates, whether it’s as a reader, a publisher, a writer—or all three. And thanks to the Longreads Members who have made it possible for us to keep going.
To celebrate four years, here’s a rundown of some of our most frequent #longreads contributors, and some of their recent recommendations:
#1 - @matthiasrascher
The Master of Nasty - A homage to Raymond Chandler. j.mp/12wOiOZ #literature #longreads
— Matthias Rascher (@matthiasrascher)
#2 - @hriefs
“A House on the River.” @esquiremag #longreads on how Bill Petit put his life back together after losing his family bit.ly/ZhAM1U
— Howard Riefs (@hriefs)
#3 - @roamin
In John They Trust / Smithsonian Magazine ow.ly/khqNh #longreads #cargocults
— roamin (@roamin)
#4 - @jalees_rehman
Now, Without Any Further Ado, We Present … The Digital Public Library of America! #longreads @dpla fb.me/23mV5kHft
— Jalees Rehman (@jalees_rehman)
#5 - @LAReviewofBooks
“Jonathan Rosenbaum is one of our keenest observers of contemporary ‘film culture.’” | Goodbye, Cinema: owl.li/kap1b #longreads
— LA Review of Books (@LAReviewofBooks)
#6 - @TheAtlantic
‘Going to the woods is going home’: John Muir on his beloved Yosemite Valley theatln.tc/11eVFYo #EarthDay #longreads
— The Atlantic (@TheAtlantic)
#7 - @nxthompson
Dick Cheney and the bureaucracy vs a satellite and climate science. @popsci #longreads popsci.com/technology/art…
— Nicholas Thompson (@nxthompson)
#8 - @faraway67
On the Brink of Extinction: A Closer Look at Endangered Species bit.ly/10HzpHP #extinction #environment #longreads
— Barbara Mack (@faraway67)
#9 - @PocketHits
“The Tyranny of the Taxi Medallions.” @priceonomics bit.ly/120veIK #MostSaved #longreads
— PocketHits (@PocketHits)
#10 - @legalnomads
Your Sunday reading, all in one place: top 5 #longreads of the week: bit.ly/13IAxzt
— Jodi Ettenberg (@legalnomads)
#11 - @brainpicker
Wow. Mapping marine ecologist Bob Paine’s academic family tree j.mp/XeBMxt From @edyong209’s ace #longreads j.mp/XeBNS9
— Maria Popova (@brainpicker)
#12 - @LineHolm1
Pulitzer winner 2013, feature writing is @nytimes’ “Snow Fall” - recommended #longreads pulitzer.org/works/2013-Fea…
— Line Holm Nielsen (@LineHolm1)
#13 - @Guardian
.@guardiang2: Norwegian prison where inmates are treated like people gu.com/p/3e298/tw #longreads
— The Guardian (@guardian)
#14 - @stonedchimera
When an American learnt by spending a summer at an Indian Call Center bit.ly/QDnA1m . Essential reading from Mother Jones. #Longreads
— Sairam Krishnan (@stonedchimera)
#15 - @MosesHawk
An anthropologist joins the ranks of the under appreciated sanitation workers of New York City. bit.ly/15Cupsp #longreads
— Moses Hawk (@MosesHawk)
#16 - @James_daSilva
Unearthing the Complete and Total Disaster That Was ‘The Chevy Chase Show’ | Splitsider splitsider.com/2013/04/uneart… #longreads
— James daSilva (@James_daSilva)
#17 - @chrbutler
Inspiring WIRED profile of Primer director Shane Carruth: bit.ly/ZbkgdJ #longreads
— Christopher Butler (@chrbutler)
#18 - @eugenephoto
Enjoying this: how to spend 47 hours on a train and not go crazy. nytimes.com/2013/03/03/mag… #travelreads #longreads
— Eugene (@eugenephoto)
#19 - @jaredbkeller
All is not well at the @todayshow nym.ag/ZNIUoh #longreads tip @mediagazer
— Jared Keller (@jaredbkeller)
#20 - @morgank
True Crime: How a Mysterious Beaumont, Texas, Murder Was Solved | Vanity Fair vnty.fr/ZI48bb #longreads
— Potato Crypts (@morgank)
#21 - @dougcoulson
Curses! Archduke Franz Ferdinand and His Astounding Death Car | Past Imperfect blogs.smithsonianmag.com/history/2013/0… via @smithsonianmag #longreads
— Doug Coulson (@dougcoulson)
#22 - @LaForgeNYT
Grizzly Bear Members Are Indie-Rock Royalty, But What Does That Buy Them in 2012? | New York Magazi… lgrd.co/OzjhpQ #longreads
— Follow @Palafo (@LaForgeNYT)
#23 - @stephen_abbott
Let’s Get Physical: The Psychology of Effective Workout Music by @ferrisjabr scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id… via @aeonmag cc @biobeatslive #longreads
— Stephen Abbott (@stephen_abbott)
#24 - @venkatananth
<opInside Ajmal Amir Kasab’s mind. “What turned a village boy to a cold-blooded killer” #longreads by @barneyhenderson - telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews…
— Venkat Ananth (@venkatananth)
#deepinterviews called “liberating the essay.” Really called “Written for Kevin” bit.ly/ZyQsbn #longreads (cc: @kimthedork)
— Kevin Smokler (@Weegee)
