This is part of a semi-weekly series recommending interesting and well-written longform/narrative nonfiction articles.
This week’s picks:
The Dream Kickoff by Danielle Elliot, Grantland
Paralyzed. Not forever but long enough for walking to seem an eternal impossibility. Enter Miguel Nicolelis, a Brazilian neuroscientist with a passion to bring the paralyzed to their feet using an exoskeleton controlled by their brains. The goal: for one paralytic to kick off the 2014 World Cup. (Spoiler alert: They succeeded.)
(Not) A Runner’s Story: Three Miles A Marathon by Rickey Gates, TrailRunner
A half century ago, Rickey Gates’ mother hitchhiked from New York to Alaska and took second in a race running Mount Marathon. She was one of two runners and said it was fun. Last year, Rickey Gates retraced her steps. The resulting piece is an enjoyable narrative exploring the history of the race and how running is really another form of travel.
Andy Mineo Raps About Christ. Just Don’t Call Him a Christian Rapper. by Corrie Mitchell, Narrative.ly
The origin story of Any Mineo, a rap artist who also happens to be a Christian, and who seeks to meet the unsaved where they are. (If you want an idea of my thoughts on being a Christian artist, this will give you an idea. To quote Mineo: “Hip-hop itself is not evil, it’s just been the way that we’ve decided to use it . . . But that’s why we’re here, to try to shift the culture, to try to change it, to redeem a good art form that God has created and allowed us to use.”)
And if you’re too tired/lazy/impatient to read, check this out:
The Space Between (video) by Drew and Chelsea Mose, Narrative.ly
A short documentary about Maureen Seaberg, an author who has a rare neurological condition called Synesthesia (which I wrote about in high school after reading A Mango-Shaped Space by Wendy Mass).
What have you been reading?
Meredith Sell 