The Atavist Magazine

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.

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...

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...

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

This is an absolute wild story

Well there's your music story of the day.

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

Can't emphasize enough: this story is WILD.

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

‘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...

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...

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...

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.

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...

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-...

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-...

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-...

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...

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-...

My favourite account of this is “Barbearians at the Gate” by @hh-matt.bsky.social at @atavist.com magazine.atavist.com/2018/barbear...

The Nurse Who Names the Dead - Longreads Inside a Texas nurse’s quest to document the life and death of every woman killed by a man in America.

"Did women have no choice, Wilcox wondered, but to wander the world hoping never to step on a landmine of a man?"

Read an excerpt from Christa Hillstrom's @atavist.com story about a nurse's quest to document the life and death of every woman killed by a man in the US.

longreads.com/2025/12/04/f...

14,445 and Counting - The Atavist Magazine Inside a Texas nurse’s quest to document the life and death of every woman killed by a man in America.

Dawn Wilcox cares about the women who are murdered by their "loved ones." She created Women Count USA and has been quietly keeping track of chronic femicide. Her database is better than the government's. In a world that seems not to care about women, we need this resource more than ever. #EndGBV

14,445 and Counting - The Atavist Magazine Inside a Texas nurse’s quest to document the life and death of every woman killed by a man in America.

"This is sacred work."

Inside a Texas nurse’s quest to document the life and death of every woman killed by a man in America.

magazine.atavist.com/2025/14445-a...

A haunting, urgent piece about a woman who counts the number of women murdered by men in the US and how profound an exercise it is.

14,445 and Counting - The Atavist Magazine Inside a Texas nurse’s quest to document the life and death of every woman killed by a man in America.

"Did women have no choice, Wilcox wondered, but to wander the world hoping never to step on a landmine of a man?"

Inside a Texas nurse’s quest to document the life and death of every woman killed by a man in America.

magazine.atavist.com/2025/14445-a...

If the official release of the FBI's Big Foot files has you intrigued may I suggest reading my @atavist.com story The Truth is out There magazine.atavist.com/2023/the-tru...