Just when we think we might’ve heard every story, it’s thanks to you — our contributors, our writers, our readers — who show us just how much there is to know about what we don’t know. In 2022, our stories were all over the map, sometimes literally — from Argentina to Alabama — and sometimes figuratively — from punk rock freaks to a Gilded Age murder mystery. Read on to see which stories were our readers’ favorites from this past year.
5. A Gilded Age Tale of Murder and Madness
Story by Kay Adams and Nancy Markey
In opulent seaside Newport, a wealthy and beloved Black businessman turns up dead. The prime suspect is his son-in-law, a dashing medical student set to become one of the country’s first Black surgeons. The resulting trial will tear the town in two.
4. The Deep South’s Dames of Dildos
Story by Hallie Lieberman
In a Bible-belt state where sex toys stores are illegal, a church-going grandma, enterprising mom and sassy granddaughter build a booming business hawking penis pumps and butt plugs—and helping every person find their path to pleasure.
3. The True Crime Podcast Junkie Turned Real Life Murder Suspect
Story by Dylan Taylor-Lehman
Is Steve Pankey a cold-blooded killer who got away with murder for decades, or just a true-crime obsessive craving attention?
2. Revolución on the Cookie Factory Floor
Story by Sofia Kuan and Facundo Iglesia
The new owner of Argentina’s de facto national treat stopped paying his majority-female workforce — so they seized control of the entire operation.
1. My High School’s Secret Fantasy Slut League
Story by Lena Crown
Our wealthy California school had a hookup game where boys “drafted” girls, then tracked their sex acts. A decade later, my classmates still debate whether “FSL” was harmless teenage hijinks or a symptom of toxic rot in our elite enclave.
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