Narratively

                   

The Daring Dreams of the First Afghan Drag Queen

Najib Faizi has survived death threats, beatings, kidnapping and more, becoming a fearless role model for LGBTQ refugees everywhere.

The First Family of Human Cannonballing

David and Jeannie Smith gave up their day jobs for a life of daredevil stunts —with six children in tow. Five decades, thousands of cannon shots and multiple Guinness World Records later, this stupendous family business is still defying gravity and...

The Century-Long Duet of Two Dazzling One-Handed Pianists

Nicholas McCarthy was born in the 1990s without a right hand. Paul Wittgenstein lost his in World War I—and then left behind a musical treasure trove that would change Nicholas’ life. Listen to our collaboration with the hit podcast Snap Judgement.

My Strange, Seductive Stint as the Hugh Hefner of Moscow

As a disillusioned cub reporter, I jumped at the bizarro job of a lifetime: editor-in-chief of Playboy Russia when nouveau riche Moscow was a hedonistic playground of sex, drugs, and early-stage capitalism — until Putin’s rise brought my reign to...

The Cartoonist Whose Parents Were Secretly Spies

In her first graphic novel, Narratively Contributor Sophia Glock documents her teenage unraveling after she figured out what her mom and dad really did for a living.

Meet the Obsessive Role-Players Who Live Inside the World of Grand Theft Auto

Renegade developers co-opted this controversial video game’s source code to build a complex alternate universe where breaking character is the cardinal sin. Millions tune in to watch.

The Weird, Wacky and Wild Ride of Captain Cartoon, Father of Bat Boy

The incredibly colorful true life story of Dick Kulpa, a nerdy small-town kid who loved cartoons so much that he became one.

These Forgotten Essays Reveal the Secrets and Dreams of Jewish Teens As Hitler Drew Near

A 1930s writing contest celebrates the inspiring endurance of the teenage spirit — in the form of heart-bursting crushes, angsty soul-searching and secret sexcapades.

The Shot-in-the-Eye Squad

As Black Lives Matter protests swept the nation, the rubber bullets and tear gas canisters started to fly. This epidemic of “blinding by police” inspired our unlikely network of survivors.