A magazine’s archive is a reflection not only of its writers and editors but of the varied interests of its readers. This past year, our readers found their way to The New Yorker’s archive in droves, uncovering classic pieces that continue to resonate, in some cases decades after they were published. The most-read archive piece of the year was an Annals of Medicine article by Atul Gawande, from 2010, about the ways in which the medical community can help patients who are terminally ill. James B. Stewart’s poignant tale of the 9/11 hero Rick Rescorla and the family he left behind came in at No. 2, and Jeffrey Toobin’s profile of Roger Stone, the controversial political consultant and Trump confidant, rounded out the top three.
Nora Ephron’s captivating essay about leaving her beloved apartment at the Apthorp for the Upper East Side comes in at No. 4. “Hiroshima,” John Hersey’s groundbreaking report on the aftermath of the first atomic bombing, is the oldest piece on this list, and took up an entire issue of the magazine when it was first published, in 1946. Among the works of fiction are Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery,” with its themes of intolerance and provincialism, and Annie Proulx’s tragic love story about two Wyoming cowboys, “Brokeback Mountain.” St. Clair McKelway rounds out the top ten with the intriguing true-crime tale “The Perils of Pearl and Olga,” which was published in 1953.
Other prominent names on the list include Arthur Miller, on why he wrote his celebrated play “The Crucible,” and James Baldwin, with the essay “Letter from a Region in My Mind,” a compelling reflection on race and the legacy of white supremacy. The authors with multiple entries were the novelist Stephen King, with an essay about his recovery after a bad car accident and a short story, and David Grann, who is once again our reigning archive M.V.P., contributing no fewer than three pieces to this list, including his riveting investigation of an execution in Texas, “Trial by Fire.” Rounding out our top twenty-five is Adam Green’s delightful profile of the sleight-of-hand artist and theatrical pickpocket Apollo Robbins. As the magician Penn Teller puts it in the piece, Robbins “takes a low crime and turns it into an art form.” It’s a great piece to read if you’re craving an escape from the news.
We hope that you enjoy this stroll through our archive. If you’d like to read more, please consider subscribing to our weekly archive newsletter, which delivers carefully curated classic stories to your in-box every Wednesday and Sunday.
1. “Letting Go,” by Atul Gawande
What should medicine do when it can’t save your life?
2. “The Real Heroes Are Dead,” by James B. Stewart
A 9/11 hero and the loved ones he left behind.
3. “The Dirty Trickster,” by Jeffrey Toobin
Campaign tips from Roger Stone.
4. “Nora Ephron’s Apartment: A Love Story,” by Nora Ephron
To move into the Apthorp was to enter a state of giddy, rent-stabilized delirium.
5. “Trial by Fire,” by David Grann
Cameron Todd Willingham insisted upon his innocence in the deaths of his children and refused to plead guilty in return for a life sentence. Did Texas execute an innocent man?
6. “The Lottery,” by Shirley Jackson
Fiction: The residents of a small American town gather in the square for an annual summer ritual.
7. “Hiroshima,” by John Hersey
A groundbreaking report on how six survivors experienced the atomic bomb and its aftermath.
8. “Brokeback Mountain,” by Annie Proulx
Fiction: The tragic love story of two Wyoming cowboys.
9. “The Hunted,” by Jeffrey Goldberg
Did American conservationists in Africa go too far?
10. “The Perils of Pearl and Olga,” by St. Clair McKelway
They were complete strangers—until they were drawn into an ex-husband’s terrifying plot.
11. “Paths of Glory,” by Ian Parker
Rory Stewart walked across Afghanistan. Can he make it to 10 Downing Street?
12. “The Old Man and the Gun,” by David Grann
Forrest Tucker had a long career robbing banks, and he wasn’t willing to retire.
13. “Letter from a Region in My Mind,” by James Baldwin
Reflections on the state of civil rights in America.
14. “Secrets of the Magus,” by Mark Singer
Ricky Jay does closeup magic that flouts reality. But, rather than headline in Las Vegas, he prefers to live in the mysterious world of ancient mountebanks and eccentric entertainers.
15. “Ghosts in the House,” by Hilton Als
How Toni Morrison fostered a generation of writers.
16. “Small Change,” by Malcolm Gladwell
Why the revolution will not be tweeted.
17. “On Impact,” by Stephen King
After an accident, the novelist had to learn to write again.
18. “Man of Extremes,” by Dana Goodyear
The return of James Cameron.
19. “The Fourth State of Matter,” by Jo Ann Beard
A week in the author’s life when it became impossible to control the course of events.
20. “The Chameleon,” by David Grann
The many lives of Frédéric Bourdin.
21. “The Bell Curve,” by Atul Gawande
What happens when patients find out how good their doctors really are?
22. “Why I Wrote ‘The Crucible,’ ” by Arthur Miller
An artist’s answer to politics.
23. “Trump Solo,” by Mark Singer
Searching for Donald Trump’s soul.
24. “Premium Harmony,” by Stephen King
Fiction: A trip to the market takes an unexpected turn.
25. “A Pickpocket’s Tale,” by Adam Green
The spectacular thefts of Apollo Robbins.
