These are the novels and short story collections that we absolutely loved in 2016. (Ranked in no particular order.)
Every single day since she died, I have wished for my mother back. But I’m glad she won’t be here to witness the next four years, and that she gave me what I need to get through them.
When I was just beginning to understand my sexuality, hating Britney set me apart from the other (straight) boys. But it turns out she had something to teach me about survival.
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The 24 Best Fiction Books Of 2016
These are the novels and short story collections that we absolutely loved in 2016. (Ranked in no particular order.)
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How "ReBoot" Predicted The Future But Got Left Behind
Inside the creation of the first computer-generated show on TV.
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Meet The 2017 BuzzFeed Emerging Writer Fellows
Bookmark your future faves.
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No Country For Brown Women
When I left India for America fourteen months ago, I'd assumed that freedom and safety would be part of the package. On November 9th, I learned that I'd been wrong — when you're not safe in your homeland, you're not safe anywhere.
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Losing My Mom Taught Me How To Grieve For America
Every single day since she died, I have wished for my mother back. But I’m glad she won’t be here to witness the next four years, and that she gave me what I need to get through them.
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I Hated Britney Spears Until I Saw Myself In Her
When I was just beginning to understand my sexuality, hating Britney set me apart from the other (straight) boys. But it turns out she had something to teach me about survival.
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How Did Your Family Talk About The Election This Thanksgiving?
Did it go how you expected it to?
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Why Do We Keep Seeing So Much Scissoring In Lesbian Sex Scenes?
The Handmaiden is the latest in a string of critically acclaimed lesbian films directed by male auteurs that reduce queer women's bodies to a beautiful spectacle. (Warning: spoilers ahead.)
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16 Famous Writers Told Us About The Book They’re Most Thankful For
Celebrate Thanksgiving with the books Joyce Carol Oates, R. L. Stine, Lemony Snicket, Colum McCann, Rainbow Rowell, Chuck Palahniuk, and more of your favorite authors are grateful for.
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11 Things To Know About Native Resistance To #NoDAPL
It's not Burning Man.
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The Man Who Made Adidas Cool Again
Paul Gaudio, Adidas’s quiet creative director, transformed its product line and turned a perennial runner-up into the hottest name in sportswear. How the 67-year-old brand harnessed the rise of 24/7 sneaker culture.
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How Delivering Meals To Seniors Showed Me The Real New York
After years of living in a place I couldn't really know, it was volunteering with a meal delivery service — and meeting the people who needed those meals — that finally opened New York City up to me.
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The 17 Most Important Things To Read About Trump's America
If you’re trying to process what happened two weeks ago, these essays are a good place to start.
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How White People Can Support People Of Color Now
Allyship isn’t a one-time thing — it’s a series of investments. Here are some concrete actions you can take to support people of color in Trump's America.
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One Hundred Years Of Men Taking Off Their Shirts
For over a hundred years, shirtlessness has communicated specific ideas about manhood. So why do we feel nothing when a celebrity takes off his shirt today?
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College Trump Supporters: "We’re The New Counterculture"
The new campus radicals quietly voted for Trump — and they want you to stop whining about it.
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9 Incredible Women Who Spent Their Lives Fighting To Change America
There won't be a female president next year, but soon. These are just a few of the many brilliant women from history who paved the way for the women yet to come.
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Here Are The 2016 National Book Award Winners
The winners were revealed at the 67th National Book Awards ceremony.
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Michael Chabon Is An Underdog On Top Of The World
Chabon's new novel, Moonglow, is being received this week with the kind of hype you'd expect for one of America's most successful living writers. He's a big deal. So why doesn't he act like one?
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What Scared Young LGBT People Need To Hear Right Now
"Know that there are millions who will fight for you because we know that you belong, that you are deserving of love and respect. That you matter."
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Read This Excerpt From Michael Chabon's New Novel "Moonglow"
Moonglow is a book inspired by the stories Chabon’s own grandfather told him before he died. In this exclusive excerpt, the narrator recounts a yarn about meeting a prostitute with tuberculosis, a beard, and a strange appeal.
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Poem: "Partial Hospitalization" By Donika Kelly
"I promised no new doors / into my body."
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17 Essays And Stories On How We Ended Up In Trump's America
These essential pieces of writing on the presidential election help explain how we got here, and imagine where we go now.
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Why “The Walking Dead” Has Become Fanfiction’s Muse
From The Walking Dead to The Flash, fanfiction adds necessary nuance to the narratives of black women onscreen – thanks to the black women who are writing these stories.
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He Became A Citizen To Vote. Now He Fears "A Bigot In Power"
Mohammed became a U.S. citizen in 2016 so he could vote in the presidential election. The Trump victory has him worried that violence against Muslims will become acceptable in his new country.
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Here's How Parents Explained The Election To Their Kids
When the world changed overnight, the first thing these writers thought about was how they would help their children make sense of it in the morning. It wasn't easy.
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How People Magazine Came Home To The Minivan Majority
People magazine’s decision to celebrate the Trump family — after their reporter said she was sexually assaulted by Donald Trump — is an acknowledgment of what their readership desires.
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What Women Who Condemned Trump's Sexism Do Now
2016 was supposed to be the year of holding powerful men accountable for sexual misconduct. Then Donald Trump was elected. Where do young women go from here?
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We Will Get Through A Trump Presidency Together
Disappointment doesn’t mean resignation. Setback doesn’t mean defeat.
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Saeed Jones
Executive Editor, Culture
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Karolina Waclawiak
Deputy Culture Editor
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Bim Adewunmi
Culture Writer
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Scaachi Koul
Culture Writer
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Tomi Obaro
Associate Editor
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Doree Shafrir
Culture Writer