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Posts by The Atavist Magazine

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The Young Avengers Who Fought the U.S. War Machine in Their Underwear With thousands of soldiers dying in Vietnam, a group of friends in New York devised a plan to save lives.

These young people believed their relatively peaceful actions could impact policy. A hopeful story about a dark time with an almost too good to be true courtroom scene towards the end that is perfect for the movies. The latest @atavist.com story by Stephen Wood magazine.atavist.com/2026/buffalo...

6 days ago 2 1 0 0

"...Paul was his maternal grandparents’ fiftieth grandchild. Consider yourself advised, right off the bat, that this is a story about Catholics." hell of an opener from the latest Atavist.

2 weeks ago 1 1 0 0
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The Good Catholics of Buffalo - Longreads With thousands of US soldiers dying in Vietnam, a righteous group of young New Yorkers embarked on a secret mission to bring the war machine to its knees.

"He and other peace activists came to view the contents of draft boards’ filing cabinets as no different from bombs or bullets: They were just tools that helped the government kill."

Read an excerpt of the new @atavist.com story, by Stephen Wood: longreads.com/2026/04/02/c...

2 weeks ago 2 2 0 0
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The Young Avengers Who Fought the U.S. War Machine in Their Underwear With thousands of soldiers dying in Vietnam, a group of friends in New York devised a plan to save lives.

"Not as secure as they think."

Today's #history article pick from Damn History, a free newsletter for readers/writers of #popularhistory. Congrats to writer Stephen Wood & @atavist.com!

Read/subscribe to Damn History: damn-history-16d93f.beehiiv.com/subscribe

magazine.atavist.com/2026/buffalo...

2 weeks ago 1 1 0 0
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The Young Avengers Who Fought the U.S. War Machine in Their Underwear With thousands of soldiers dying in Vietnam, a group of friends in New York devised a plan to save lives.

A plan as outrageous as it was outrageously simple. A conspiracy to save lives. A righteous violation of the law.

Issue no. 173, "The Buffalo Raiders"

magazine.atavist.com/2026/buffalo...

2 weeks ago 2 1 0 1
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The Young Avengers Who Fought the U.S. War Machine in Their Underwear With thousands of soldiers dying in Vietnam, a group of friends in New York devised a plan to save lives.

@atavist.com's new story reminded me to have a little faith in humanity.

magazine.atavist.com/2026/buffalo...

2 weeks ago 5 2 0 0
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How a Small Welsh Town Tried to Save a Popular Sea Shanty Band from 'the Captain' When a scraggly band of folk musicians arrived to tour the UK, residents of a small Welsh town were enamored—until they learned that the band's leader ruled with an iron fist.

For @atavist.com I wrote about The Old Time Sailors, a sea shanty band that rocked up in a small North Wales town led by its dark and mysterious leader, The Captain. It's a weird tale, and, even weirder, my dad is in it. magazine.atavist.com/2026/sea-sha...

1 month ago 3 1 0 0
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How a Small Welsh Town Tried to Save a Popular Sea Shanty Band from 'the Captain' When a scraggly band of folk musicians arrived to tour the UK, residents of a small Welsh town were enamored—until they learned that the band's leader ruled with an iron fist.

Remember shantytok? This followup is WILD.

1 month ago 29 4 0 1
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The Dark and Stormy Tale of a ShantyTok Band - Longreads When a scraggly band of folk musicians arrived to tour the UK, residents of a small Welsh town were enamored—until they learned that the band’s leader ruled with an iron fist.

"He sensed tension between the band members and Guzmán, and he noticed that the individual Sailors seemed to be scraping by."

An excerpt from the new @atavist.com issue by Peter Ward—about the dark secret of a ShantyTok folk band: longreads.com/2026/03/05/s...

1 month ago 5 2 0 0
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The Wild Ones - The Atavist Magazine People said that women had no place in the Grand Canyon and would likely die trying to run the Colorado River. In 1938, two female scientists set out to prove them wrong.

For #WomensHistoryMonth, resurrecting this story from @atavist.com, which grew into my book BRAVE THE WILD RIVER. (Your perennial reminder: women's history IS history!) #womeninstem magazine.atavist.com/2019/the-wil...

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🎶There once was a band played Glastonbury
But then accused of modern slavery🎶

1 month ago 6 2 0 0

This is an absolute wild story

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Well there's your music story of the day.

1 month ago 18 3 0 0

i thought the mandated brushing of teeth 3 times a day would be the maximum weird this would get and i was wrong

1 month ago 12 2 1 0
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Can't emphasize enough: this story is WILD.

1 month ago 14 7 0 0
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How a Small Welsh Town Tried to Save a Popular Sea Shanty Band from 'the Captain' When a scraggly band of folk musicians arrived to tour the UK, residents of a small Welsh town were enamored—until they learned that the band's leader ruled with an iron fist.

Remember when sea shanties took TikTok by storm? A folk band rode that wave of popularity, even playing at Glastonbury. But a dark secret was lurking behind the scenes—one that triggered an investigation into accusations of "modern slavery."

magazine.atavist.com/2026/sea-sha...

1 month ago 63 10 1 14
NATIONAL MAGAZINE AWARDS 2026 NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED

Breaking friend-news reporter @greenwell.bsky.social was the first to alert me that @atavist.com is a finalist for TWO (!!) National Magazine Awards this year. I'm thrilled. Congrats to all the finalists.

asme.memberclicks.net/national-mag...

1 month ago 23 2 5 0
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Three Mothers, One Struggle: Saving Their Children with Schizophrenia When their sons began to suffer from profound mental illness, these Colorado women learned to lean on each other.

"It felt as though I was holding my breath the entire time I read this extraordinary piece, which follows the stories of three mothers in Colorado and their three children who were diagnosed with schizophrenia."-Guest editor @rainesford.bsky.social's top pick magazine.atavist.com/2026/thats-s...

2 months ago 10 7 0 0
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Thank you, @rainesford.bsky.social and @thesundaylongread.bsky.social, for featuring our latest story. It's one of the best I've ever had the honor of working on.

Read it here: magazine.atavist.com/2026/thats-s...

2 months ago 5 2 0 0
A screenshot of a newsletter that reads: "While we continue to grapple with the absurdity of the decision, it's a small comfort to see how much great work is still being produced in today's difficult media environment. Today, we're honored to hand editing duties over to Rainesford Stauffer, who's delivered more than enough compelling stories—including a focus on local outlets—to restore a bit of hope for the craft." It includes "introducing this week's guest editor" in black lettering, and "Rainesford Stauffer" in green lettering, next to a small, circular headshot of a brown-haired woman in a black top on a white background.

A screenshot of a newsletter that reads: "While we continue to grapple with the absurdity of the decision, it's a small comfort to see how much great work is still being produced in today's difficult media environment. Today, we're honored to hand editing duties over to Rainesford Stauffer, who's delivered more than enough compelling stories—including a focus on local outlets—to restore a bit of hope for the craft." It includes "introducing this week's guest editor" in black lettering, and "Rainesford Stauffer" in green lettering, next to a small, circular headshot of a brown-haired woman in a black top on a white background.

The kind folks at @thesundaylongread.bsky.social let me guest edit the newsletter to share some stories I loved this week! Including pieces from @atavist.com, @us.theguardian.com, @thenation.com, @19thnews.org, @capitalb.bsky.social, @washingtonpost.com, & more. Link: mailchi.mp/sundaylongre...

2 months ago 25 4 1 2
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‘I Promise You, You Have Your Soul.’ - Longreads Three mothers, one struggle: saving their children with schizophrenia.

Today on @longreads.com: Read an excerpt from the new @atavist.com story by Mary Margaret Alvarado, about three mothers—and their three children who were diagnosed with schizophrenia: longreads.com/2026/02/03/t...

2 months ago 3 1 0 0
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Three Mothers, One Struggle: Saving Their Children with Schizophrenia When their sons began to suffer from profound mental illness, these Colorado women learned to lean on each other.

There was a whiteboard and dry-erase marker in the exam room where Luc waited. He called the diagnosis before his doctors did. On the board he wrote:

Christ

Schizophrenia

Why won’t you listen to me

**

From issue no. 171, "'That's Somebody's Son'"

magazine.atavist.com/2026/thats-s...

2 months ago 2 1 0 0
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Three Mothers, One Struggle: Saving Their Children with Schizophrenia When their sons began to suffer from profound mental illness, these Colorado women learned to lean on each other.

"That's Somebody's Son"

I implore you to read this beautiful story about love and resilience.

New from @atavist.com.

magazine.atavist.com/2026/thats-s...

2 months ago 53 10 1 0
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The Two Faces of Lummie Jenkins The people of Wilcox County, Alabama, remember the longtime sheriff as a god or a monster—it just depends on who you ask.

I love to see so many media orgs rescuing great work from the archives! This @alexmarvar.bsky.social (always a must-read writer for me) reprint in @atavist.com is a delight and a great way to spend your Sunday evening.

2 months ago 5 1 0 0
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I'm thrilled that @atavist.com's harrowing story about a hospital weathering civil war and genocide in Ethiopia is on the short list for the 2026 True Story Award. Huge congrats to author @drewphilp.bsky.social!

Read the story here: magazine.atavist.com/2025/there-w...

2 months ago 7 6 0 0
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Breathing New Life Into Old Stories Introducing Revived.

“The Atavist can’t fix link rot, but we can do our (small) part to help journalists affected by it. We’re launching a new project, Revived, to breathe new life into old stories.”

magazine.atavist.com/introducing-...

3 months ago 4 1 0 0
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The Two Faces of Lummie Jenkins The people of Wilcox County, Alabama, remember the longtime sheriff as a god or a monster—it just depends on who you ask.

A great piece of history, beautifully structured and written by my friend @alexmarvar.bsky.social

magazine.atavist.com/2025/lummie-...

3 months ago 1 1 0 0
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Breathing New Life Into Old Stories Introducing Revived.

This story is the first in @atavist.com's new Revived series, which aims to breathe life into old stories: magazine.atavist.com/introducing-...

3 months ago 1 1 0 0
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Anatomy of Absolute Power - Longreads The people of Wilcox County, Alabama, remember a longtime sheriff as a god or a monster—it just depends on who you ask.

"Fear was essential to keeping white power intact, and as the civil rights movement whipped up revolutionary energy across the Black Belt, Lummie’s and his colleagues’ efforts intensified."

An excerpt from the new @atavist.com story, by @alexmarvar.bsky.social: longreads.com/2026/01/06/l...

3 months ago 4 2 1 0
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The Two Faces of Lummie Jenkins The people of Wilcox County, Alabama, remember the longtime sheriff as a god or a monster—it just depends on who you ask.

Ending a bad year on a good note: @atavist.com is excited to introduce Revived, a project breathing new life into old stories. We're releasing previously published features otherwise lost to dead outlets and dead links. First up, from @alexmarvar.bsky.social.

magazine.atavist.com/2025/lummie-...

3 months ago 49 10 3 3