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Secret Lives

Lifting the veil on secretive and surprising people, professions, pursuits and subcultures.
Meet the Male Sex Worker Upending the Nevada Brothel Scene
In remote northern Nevada, a truck-stop brothel advertises “Ladies 24 Hours.” Inside, one 49-year-old grandfather is betting there’s a market for a…
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Hallie Lieberman
2
Secret Life of an Anonymous Speechwriter to the Stars
At work, I’m a ghost: always heard, never seen. But mastering the voices of celebrities and politicians helped me learn to speak for myself.
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Claire Rudy Foster
2
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…
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Meghan Gunn
The Greatest Piano Prodigy You’ve Never Heard Of
Natalie Trayling was one of the world’s most wonderful pianists, but her genius was nearly lost to history because she played and lived on the streets…
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Sue Smethurst
2
The Magic Poop Potion
An Indiana grandma killed off a devastating superbug with a homemade fecal transplant and then embarked on a crusade to win over the FDA.
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Lina Zeldovich
3
Longshot Dreams and Slapshot Fiends in the Ultimate ’90s Pro Sports League
In the age when Rollerblades were king, a crew of wide-eyed rookies and grizzled NHL vets brought hockey-on-wheels to the cusp of the big time.
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Justin Birnbaum
The Audacious Tabloid Couple Who Scammed Their Way Into New York's High Society
The vaudeville dancer and his beguiling Parisian wife arrived in Manhattan in 1911 with secret identities in tow. They enjoyed wealth and notoriety for…
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Lauren Harkawik
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