The 5 Best Stories From Narratively’s First 5 Years
On our anniversary, our editors pick the very best pieces from each year of Narratively’s existence.
Five years ago this week, a ragtag group of die-hard journalists and storytellers launched Narratively, needing to fill a void we saw in the modern media landscape. We were sick of MacGyvering our stories to meet the increasingly pesky constraints of mainstream media, tired of watching our peers chase the same news and clickbait. Our concept: just one carefully crafted piece a day, celebrating ordinary people with extraordinary stories.
Since then we've grown a global community of 3,000+ contributors who work for some of the top outlets on earth, and an audience of ultra-engaged, loyal readers who turn to Narratively for a refreshing take on our world.
For us editors, picking our favorite stories is a bit like picking a favorite child, but we nonetheless challenged ourselves to choose one piece from each year of our existence. These five stories impacted Narratively in a major way, and they continue to represent the storytelling philosophy we aim to impart on you. Thank you for an inspiring five years.
Enjoy,
The Narratively Team
By Caroline Rothstein
Published May 2, 2013
Photo by Gunars Elmuts
Two decades after a low-budget film turned Washington Square skaters into international celebrities, the kids from "Kids" struggle with lost lives, distant friendships, and the fine art of growing up.
By Vinnie Rotondaro
Published October 17, 2013
Illustration by Kevin Huizenga
A plucky amateur dared to question a celebrated psychological finding. He wound up blowing the whole theory wide open.
3. The Man Who Got America High
By Jeff Maysh
Published November 5, 2014
Illustration by Naomi Elliott
He chartered the Rolling Stones and Grateful Dead in private jets, while smuggling planeloads of Pablo Escobar’s drugs on the side. After disappearing for decades, Alfred Dellentash Jr. finally shares his unbelievable life story — for the very first time.
4. Healing Hasidic Masturbators and Adulterers — With Psychiatric Drugs
By Batya Ungar-Sargon
Published August 23, 2016
Photo by Pearl Gabel
These ultra-Orthodox Jews admitted to religious taboos ranging from same-sex attraction to extramarital affairs. The treatment they received was alarmingly severe.
5. I Was Taught to Hate My Lesbian Neighbors. They Took Me In Anyway.
By Dena Landon
Published September 7, 2016
Illustration by Vinnie Neuberg
The summer my parents’ marriage was falling apart, my best friend’s two moms saved me — even though my dad said they were going to Hell.