The August Edit: 5 Great Stories to Read Before the Summer Ends
From a story about a pianist who chose the streets over fame, to a comic about one young woman's debut into the New York art scene to a piece explaining hermit crab essays, there's something for all.
The end of summer is always a bummer, let’s be real — there’s so much more (vegan) ice cream to be had, more swimming holes to check out, more mocktails to sip, but being a Libra, I’m a sucker for fall, too. The promise of new composition notebooks, highlighter pens, blazers and, of course, getting back to reading. Sure, we love ourselves a beach read, but there’s nothing like a mug of warm tea and a queue of longform articles saved to your favorite bookmarking app on a chilly afternoon. Since we don’t have the power to prolong warm, sunny days, we will intervene where we can: with those longform articles for your queue. With that in mind, here are some of our favorite stories from the past month that have surprised, delighted and warmed us, in case you missed ’em or want to share them with a friend. Happy reading, and happy almost fall!
—Jesse Sposato, executive editorÂ
1. The Greatest Piano Prodigy You’ve Never Heard Of
Story by Sue Smethurst
Natalie Trayling was one of the world’s most wonderful pianists, but her genius was nearly lost to history because she played and lived on the streets, where she truly felt free.
2. The Women Who Became Writing Partners After 50 Years of Friendship
Story by Ruby Rosenthal
Nancy Markey and Kay Adams on how they teamed up in their 60s to pursue a shared lifelong dream.
3. The Perfect Wedding Planner With the Failing Marriage
Story by Tria Wen
Attending a wedding while your own marriage falls apart is one of the most emotionally conflicted experiences possible. Now imagine doing that every weekend.
4. What Is a Hermit Crab Essay, Anyway?
Story by Suzanne Cope
In this craft piece, journalist Suzanne Cope explains this writing technique, and breaks down three essays in which writers employ it, each with nature at the center in some way.
5. The ‘Classy Debut’ of a Real-Life Mermaid
Story by Lauren R. Weinstein
A cartoonist looks back at her splashy entrance into the New York art scene at a seriously epic parade at Coney Island.