"Americans have always moved away. These days, expat Lindsey Tramuta writes, record numbers are leaving or planning to leave in search of health care, civil rights, freedoms, even safety. Does exiting the United States mean you’ve given up? Not necessarily."
"On gray literature and Webster’s Timeline History books."
<figure><img width="1024" height="597" src="https://i0.wp.com/longreads.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/CNFPoditalic.jpg?fit=1024%2C597&ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="graphic of star wand with quote that reads: "I’m a huge believer in inventing your own rituals before writing." Attribution line reads "Lidia Yuknavitch" and bottom line of graphic reads "Episode 523 of the Creative Nonfiction Podcast"" decoding="async" fetchpriority="high" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/longreads.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/CNFPoditalic.jpg?w=2400&ssl=1 2400w, https://i0.wp.com/longreads.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/CNFPoditalic.jpg?resize=300%2C175&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/longreads.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/CNFPoditalic.jpg?resize=1024%2C597&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/longreads.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/CNFPoditalic.jpg?resize=768%2C448&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/longreads.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/CNFPoditalic.jpg?resize=1536%2C896&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/longreads.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/CNFPoditalic.jpg?resize=2048%2C1195&ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/longreads.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/CNFPoditalic.jpg?resize=1200%2C700&ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/longreads.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/CNFPoditalic.jpg?resize=2000%2C1167&ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/longreads.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/CNFPoditalic.jpg?resize=780%2C455&ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/longreads.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/CNFPoditalic.jpg?resize=400%2C233&ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/longreads.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/CNFPoditalic.jpg?resize=706%2C412&ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/longreads.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/CNFPoditalic.jpg?w=2340&ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/longreads.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/CNFPoditalic.jpg?fit=1024%2C597&ssl=1&w=370 370w" sizes="(max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw / 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw / 12)), 100vw" /></figure>On shitty first, second, and third drafts; embracing the struggle to write; and more.
“An insomniac’s lifelong pursuit.”
"What happens when someone throws a message into the sea?"
"Benches are microcosms of an expansive debate about who belongs in urban public spaces. When they are removed or made uninviting, we lose more than just a place to rest."
"A broken phone or corrupted drive can mean the loss of work, evidence, art, or the last traces of the dead. But sometimes data-recovery experts can summon lost files from the void."
<figure><img width="1024" height="597" src="https://i0.wp.com/longreads.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/t5-1.png?fit=1024%2C597&ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/longreads.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/t5-1.png?w=2400&ssl=1 2400w, https://i0.wp.com/longreads.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/t5-1.png?resize=300%2C175&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/longreads.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/t5-1.png?resize=1024%2C597&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/longreads.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/t5-1.png?resize=768%2C448&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/longreads.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/t5-1.png?resize=1536%2C896&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/longreads.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/t5-1.png?resize=2048%2C1195&ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/longreads.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/t5-1.png?resize=1200%2C700&ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/longreads.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/t5-1.png?resize=2000%2C1167&ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/longreads.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/t5-1.png?resize=780%2C455&ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/longreads.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/t5-1.png?resize=400%2C233&ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/longreads.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/t5-1.png?resize=706%2C412&ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/longreads.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/t5-1.png?w=2340&ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/longreads.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/t5-1.png?fit=1024%2C597&ssl=1&w=370 370w" sizes="(max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw / 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw / 12)), 100vw" /></figure><p>Deaths in donation bins, the Hardy boys, MAGA slop, billionaire playgrounds, and nostalgia for the complicated. </p> <div class="woocommerce"> <div class="woocommerce-info wc-memberships-restriction-message wc-memberships-message wc-memberships-content-restricted-message"> <a href="https://longreads.com/join/"><img src="https://longreads.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/members-only-graphic.png" alt="sorry, this post is only available to Longreads members. To become a member, visit longreads.com/join."></a> </div> </div>
