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The Lost Boys

In the early 1970s, before the term serial killer had even been coined, Dean Corll and his teenage accomplices kidnapped, tortured, and killed at least 28 boys from the same Houston neighborhood. Horrific and fascinating.

The Lost Boys (12k) by Skip Hollandsworth

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The Innocent Man

Pamala Colloff for Texas Monthly writes a stunning, novella-length investigative piece describing the death of Christine Morton and the botched investigation that would find her husband guilty of murder. The Innocent Man is simply one of the most gripping stories I've ever read.

The Innocent Man Part 1 (13k) by Pamela Colloff The Innocent Man Part 2 (15k) by Pamela Colloff

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In Defense of a Country Music Tune

Now that I live well outside the city, I get quite a bit of exposure to country music. It's often playing on the jukebox at the local bar, and the Pizza Ranch one town over pipes in K102 all day. All told, I listen to around 3-4 hours of country music a week.

The bulk of today's country music is insultingly shallow, a constant pandering twang of cliché after cliché. And while Nashville's songwriters and session musicians are some of the most talented the world has to offer, the vast majority of their output remains comically trite.

Enter Kacey Musgraves' Merry Go 'Round. It's a simple arrangement, thoughtfully sad, and filled with meaningful wordplay. There's not hint of the faux twang so often employed to 'country-up' a lyric. It's just pure Americana folk that reminds me of Mindy Smith's early hit, Come to Jesus.

Great song Mrs. Musgraves and congratulations to you and your producer(s) for resisting the urge to drown this one in a heavy Nashville syrup. Songs and arrangements like this will make my visits to the local bar a lot more enjoyable.

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Things Meatloaf Would and Would Not Do for His Lover According to the Song "I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Wont Do That)" (1)

Meatloaf Would:

1. Help her move 2. Perform magic 3. Give her items to take home 4. Build her a sand castle 5. Hose her down were she to get too hot

Analysis:

Coming from someone who's recently moved I can confirm this first promise is worth at least $600 USD, depending on distance traveled and the degree to which he's insured and or licensed/bonded.  Magic, on the other hand, gets him nowhere and if she's not into it could easily backfire. Items: these can go either way, but generally speaking, women like stuff so I'm going to say this is a net positive. Sand castles are good and imply beach access. Hosing her down if/when she gets too hot has a wide range of applications. Meatloaf really needs to exercise restraint here as an unwanted sex act could tip the balance against him.

Meatloaf Would Not:

1. Forgive himself if they didn't have intercourse immediately 2. Concede that it may be time to move on 3. Do a better job making love to someone else 4. Make love to another individual for a longer period of time than he does with her

Analysis:

So it turns out that what Meatloaf promises NOT to do implies a steady stream of future lovemaking and self-delusion. Although these promises seem to come from a place of genuine concern, they're deeply selfish. For this reason, it's my recommendation that Meatloaf focus on what he would do, as opposed to what he wouldn't.

(1) This is an edited and expanded version of a rejected McSweeney's submission from the summer of 2006. I have clearly failed in my attempt to write more often.

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Horseman, Pass By

A magnificent piece of writing and winner of a national magazine award, Horseman, Pass By recounts the glory of Secretariat's 1973 season and the heartbreaking recent history of the Triple Crown.

I was at the Belmont Stakes in 2004 when Smarty Jones had a chance at the Triple Crown. His second place finish resulted in collective heartache from bettors and casual fans alike.

Horseman, Pass By (~10k) by John Jeremiah Sullivan (PDF) (1)

(1) Looks to be a rogue reprint.

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The Best Night $500k Can Buy

This article on Marquee nightclub reminds me of an ill-advised night I had in Vegas several years ago that resulted in a $1600 bar tab.

It's sad, really, but the marketing effort required to maintain the façade is fascinating. Devin Friedman for GQ pulls back the curtain on Marquee, a club that caters to people willing and able to spend hundreds of thousands on a single night.

The Best Night $500k Can Buy (8k) by Devin Friedman 

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Peyton's Place

After a young writer and his wife move into a brick, neo-colonial in Wilmington, NC they decide to follow up on a tempting offer from their Realtor: The creators of One Tree Hill want to use the house for filming and they will cover the mortgage for their trouble.

I really enjoy this story, in part because I watched a good 6+ seasons of One Tree Hill.

Peyton's Place (8k) by John Jeremiah Sullivan

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Bad to the Bone

Bad to the Bone is a sobering lesson in what can happen when medtech firms use aggressive tactics to get their procedures (or devices) into the marketplace before they've been properly vetted.

Bad to the Bone (9k) by Mina Kimes

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Paddled

American Christopher Beam enrolls at a ping-pong academy while in Beijing and learns he is unlikely to beat the Chinese at their national pastime. At least not in this life.

Paddled (5k) by Christopher Beam

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In Plain View

Malcolm Gladwell for the New Yorker describes the manipulative mind of a serial pedophile.

In Plain View (6k) by Malcolm Gladwell

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I'm not at all comfortable with the concept of penetrating oil.

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Manhunt at Menard Creek

After two days of hunting for Tommy Earl Hayes in the east Texas bush called the Big Thicket, Sergeant Gene Stokes and his pack of prison dogs would finally catch him near Menard Creek. Why Stokes wasn't able to capture Hayes alive is the subject of a federal investigation.

Manhunt at Menard Creek (9k) by Robert Draper

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Heavy

Robert Kurson for Chicago Magazine tells the story of Robert Earl Hughes, America's heaviest man. Although Hughes weighed over 1,000 pounds, he was admired and treated well in his small town of Fishhook, Illinois.

Heavy (6k) by Robert Kurson

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Angles and Demons

On June 4, 1989, a mother and her two daughters were found floating in Tampa Bay. Thomas French for the St. Petersberg Times tells the story in a 53k word masterpiece.

Angles and Demons (53k) by Thomas French

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Going Under

Jason Zengerle for The New Republic profiles Brent Cambron, a talented young anesthesiologist, struggling with addition in a field plagued with temptation.

Going Under by Jason Zengerle (6k)

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Prairie Fire

Eric Konigsberg for the New Yorker profiles Patti and Martin Bremmer and the tragic death of their son Brandenn, a child prodigy who took his life at age 14.

As the story unfolds, it becomes clear to the reader what likely led Brandenn to kill himself. Sadly, Brandenn's parents and psychologist go to great lengths to justify his death, and ultimately, the life they set before him.

Prairie Fire (12k) by Eric Konigsberg (PDF) (1)

(1) In addition to the above link, (which looks like a rogue reprint) this piece is available behind The New Yorker paywall. I have it in a nicer format but I don't have permission to post it. If you want me to send it to you, just ask. @heavy

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My Favorite Teacher

The author, Robert Kurson for Esquire, investigates the strange admiration he still holds for Mr. Lindwall, the junior high biology teacher now serving life in jail for rape, kidnapping and murder. 

My Favorite Teacher (6k) by Robert Kurson