Discuss a longform magazine or newspaper article with a group of longreads fans in this new monthly club from the Magazines and Newspapers Center. It’s like a book club, but instead of books we discuss periodical articles of approximately 10,000 words in length, which take about an hour to read.
To participate, read the month's selection ahead of time, then join the discussion at the appointed time and location.
The agenda of the meeting includes round-robin introductions, a forty-five minute discussion utilizing the shared inquiry method, and then a final twenty minutes to share any other thoughts the article brought up for you.
Typically, selections can be investigative journalism, creative writing, personal essay or another genre, as long as it was originally published in a periodical.
January 2026 Selection
“The Last Words on the Bridge” by William Langewiesche. A recording salvaged from three miles deep tells the story of the doomed El Faro, a cargo ship engulfed by a hurricane. Vanity Fair, April 2018, pp. 92-98; 131-137.
Saturday, Jan. 31, 10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. in the SFPL Virtual Library (register on Zoom)
Access options:
February 2026 Selection
"Jenisha From Kentucky" by Jenisha Wells. I came to New York sure of one thing—that no one could ever know my past. The Atlantic, October 2023, pp. 26-40.
Saturday, Feb. 28, 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.* at the Ortega Branch Library, Program Room
(*note changed time)
Access options:
March 2026 Selection
"The Dementia Paradox/The Mother Who Changed: A Story of Dementia" by Katie Engelhart. A bitter family dispute hinged on an impossible question: When cognitive decline changes people, should we respect their new desires? New York Times Sunday Magazine, May 14, 2023, pp. 20-27; 44.
Saturday, Mar. 28, 10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. in the SFPL Virtual Library (register on Zoom)
Access options:
April 2026 Selection
"A Good Death" by William Vollmann. After the fashion of disaster planners who serve us best by preparing for the worst, I propose that no matter what reassurance we receive from the well-intentioned, we might as well expect our breaths to be punched out and our hearts to be smeared with the gall of misery. Harper's Magazine, November 2010, pp. 36-43, 46, 48, 50, 52.
Saturday, Apr 25, 10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. at the North Beach Branch Library, Program Room
Access options: