Editors’ Picks: The Best Narratively Stories of 2023
From a Midwestern drug smuggler to the first Afghan Drag Queen, don't miss our team's absolute favorite stories from this year.
OK, readers. You’ve had your say on what our biggest stories of 2023 were. Now it’s time for our editors and staff to select their favorites — a difficult task for folks who value excellent storytelling as highly as we do at Narratively. But these are the stories that crawled into our heads and hearts, and stayed with us all year long. We hope you’ll appreciate them as much as we did.
The Daring Dreams of the First Afghan Drag Queen
Story by Kanika Gupta
“A vibrant, immersive depiction of Najiba's experiences. Concise and yet deeply emotional. A joy to fact-check. ‘Whenever violence broke out, Najib retreated into his imagination. If he shut his eyes tight, he could be whatever he wanted to be: a Bollywood damsel in distress, a mischievous housewife, or a ferocious warrior-princess. At night, he clung to the treasured Bollywood CDs he had brought all the way from home.’”
– Karen Ng, Fact Checker
The First Guy to Break the Internet
Story by Emma Madden
“Kony 2012 was such a weird, one-of-a-kind whirlwind happening that a certain breed of very online millennial (i.e. me) will never forget. I loved working with Emma Madden on this article because they were able to spend time really getting to know the people involved in this project and dig deep to tell the full, complex, nuanced human story that all the other coverage of this lurid internet escapade never touched on — to me, that’s everything a Narratively story should be”
- Brendan Spiegel, Editorial Director and Co-Founder
I Could Have Killed Him Twice
Story by Nancy Markey and Kay Adams
“Narratively stories were particularly empowering this year. The common thread was individuals demonstrating the courage to seize control of their destinies. My favorite was “I Could Have Killed Him Twice” by Nancy Markey and Kay Adams. This story embodies what Shonda Rhimes shows, and Narratively stories, are made of! Annie Cutler illustrates that even in dire situations, choices exist — even if they lead to a death sentence. More seriously, there is always hope. You can only hope to navigate your way out of oppressive circumstances, with the reassurance that there will be compassionate friends (or in Annie’s case, cute abolitionists) ready to have your back. I find myself thinking about the line, ‘I think I would be almost glad if more of our women so treated would do the same thing,’ more often than I should.”
- Yunuen Bonaparte, Photo Editor
The Greatest Game Ever Played Behind Barbed Wire
Story by Lisa Heyamoto
“I’m not necessarily a huge baseball fan, but I am a massive, unapologetic aficionado of sports stories in which the underdog comes out on top. Rudy, Rocky, Chariots of Fire (not even the movie, just the soundtrack!) — cue the waterworks. It’s harder to think of more of a longshot contender than a group of teen sluggers incarcerated on American soil simply because of where their ancestors were born. Have this derisively nicknamed “Jap Nine” squad face off in their internment camp against the three-time reigning Arizona state champs, a team whose players would go home to their mothers and fathers and warm beds after the game, and you've got the makings of an absolute classic. The historical significance and the meticulous, riveting detail with which Lisa renders it — right down to the crimson color of the baseball stitching — makes for a truly unforgettable read.”
- Noah Rosenberg, Founder & CEO
The Sisterhood of Sex and the Quest for Porno Power
Story by Hallie Lieberman
“Such a tough choice this year, as always, but this story feels particularly near and dear to my heart. I got to know Candida Royalle many moons ago when I interviewed her for my old magazine, Sadie, and spent a bit of time with her in the surrounding months. I thought she was such a warm, special person with a fascinating life, so it was really interesting to learn more about her backstory: how she and her friends came to found this supportive club for women in the porn industry, a unique group back then, and how that became a lifeline for each of them. Hallie always does a great job of enveloping you in an unknown world, and this piece is no exception.”
- Jesse Sposato, Deputy Editor
The Art of the Endless Hustle
Story by Dr. Arthur Rapkin and Alec Banks
“I loved working on ‘The Art of the Endless Hustle” because it’s a story I’d been following for a while, as the co-writers finished the book. Before stories like George Jung of Blow fame there was Arthur Rapkin, living his own adventure, based in the midwest. I knew the story would be difficult to edit down to longform size but I was happy Narratively took an interest and grateful for my fellow editors’ wrangling help.”
- Shawna Kenney, Contributing Editor
“Upon reading “The Art of the Endless Hustle,” I was astounded to discover that it possessed every element I seek in an ideal story. Being a foreigner who yearns for the Midwest on a near-daily basis, this is an incredible story about an incredible character set in an incredible time that is told in a way that leaves one wanting more.”
– Guia Cortassa, Editorial Intern
StoryCraft Section
“The StoryCraft interviews were my favorite reads on Narratively this year. They’re all exciting byproducts of the growth we’ve had after switching over to Substack and the way that’s enabled us, as a hub for storytellers and story lovers, to be more connected to the community. The ones that lingered with me most were Brendan’s interview with Steven Beschloss, “How to Write A Hidden History Story,” and two of Jesse’s posts: her interview with Jenisha Watts, “What It Took to Write the Personal Essay That’s Setting the Web on Fire,” and also the collective conversation she had with Narratively authors, “How to Craft an Excerpt From Your Book.” These posts left me feeling more connected to the team of writers (Brendan and Jesse) that I have the privilege of working with, and they highlighted the accessibility we all have (thanks to digital spaces like Substack and Narratively) to the writers we admire and want to learn from. Writers do so much unseen work, and digging into the process of that work through these conversations left me eager and excited to do more of the invisible tasks I too often doubt.”
– Ashley Rubell, Submissions Reader