Advertisement
bookmark or get stuck in

3 Midweek Longreads: The true story of the Manson murders

Longreads to savour or save.

Charles Manson Trial 1969 AP / Press Association Images AP / Press Association Images / Press Association Images

IF YOU WANT a juicy longread to sink your teeth into, you’ve come to the right place.

Here are three to save for a moment of peace, or devour straight away.

1. Craig David, Bo Selecta

A glorious interview with the one, the only, Craig David.

(Buzzfeed, 15 mins)

There are a lot of details that go into the parties, like the girls-to-guys ratio, which is 70:30 in favour of girls. This is not for my personal satisfaction – it keeps the balance so the guys aren’t running around the house trying to hit on everyone. Guys calm themselves and I like that balance, because usually if it’s the other way around, girls feel intimidated and it all gets wonky. I want it to be sexy.

2. Black like her

Will the real Rachel Dolezal please stand up? Jelani Cobb gets to the heart of the matter with this truly unexpected story.

(New Yorker, mins)

Among African-Americans, there is a particular contempt, rooted in the understanding that black culture was formed in a crucible of degradation, for what Norman Mailer hailed as the “white Negro.” Whatever elements of beauty or cool, whatever truth or marketable lies there are that we associate with blackness, they are ultimately the product of a community’s quest to be recognized as human in a society that is only ambivalently willing to see it as such.

3. Helter Skelter

The real tale of the Manson murders, by Vincent Bugliosi, who prosecuted Charles Manson.

(Longform, 53 mins)

At approximately 12:40 A.M. he heard from what seemed a long distance away, to the north or northeast, a solitary male voice. The man was screaming, “Oh, God, no, please don’t! Oh, God, no, don’t, don’t, don’t …” The scream lasted ten to fifteen seconds, then stopped, the abrupt silence almost as chilling as the cry itself.

Love longreads? Check out Sitdown Sunday every week>

Your Voice
Readers Comments
2
    Submit a report
    Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
    Thank you for the feedback
    Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.