What are your favorite pieces of writing thus far in 2012?

We're halfway through the year, and I'm curious what pieces stand out? Not because I want to see anyone blown, just don't want to have missed a great story.

Does not, at all, need to be limited to sports.

Links please, if they exist.

 

Reilly's latest column would be near the top.

 

OK, with that out of the way (take it in the good spirit with which it was intended), my real answer:

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2012/02/13/120213fa_fact_khatchadourian

The New Yorker's face transplant story.

Unfortunately, it's behind a subscriber wall, but you can get the gist at the link.

 

Patrick Hruby's story on conspiracy theories.


http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/hruby-tuesday/201205/conspiracy-theory-david-stern-michael-phelps-patrick-ewing-michael-jordan

 

I have quite a few in mind, but I will start small(ish) and offer this piece by Pierce about Levon Helm and America. One of the best pieces of music writing I've read in a long time.

http://www.esquire.com/_mobile/blogs/politics/levon-helm-america-8173059

 

I keep track of the year's best sports reads, to some degree, though I've been bad about it the past few months for a variety of reasons. I have about 20 bookmarked from this year, but here are seven of the very best:

Kent Babb on Scott Pioli's culture of fear
Dan Wetzel on Tom Brady after the Super Bowl
Thomas Lake on the high school basketball player who died on the court
Benjamin Polk on Ricky Rubio's appeal
Michael Sokolove on Oscar Pistorius
Spencer Hall on dogs
Drew Magary on John Elway's brass balls

 

Discussed at great length on this site, I do believe, but Chris Jones' 17-million word piece on the Great Exotic Animal Escape kept me hooked.

http://www.esquire.com/features/zanesville-0312

 

I really enjoyed the Charlie Sheen piece in Rolling Stone. But yes, the Wetzel piece was one of the best I've read all year

 

Tim Graham tracked down the soldiers in this famous photo from the Gulf War:


Part 1: http://www.buffalonews.com/spotlight/article917664.ece
2: http://www.buffalonews.com/city/article919344.ece
3: http://www.buffalonews.com/city/article921150.ece
4: http://www.buffalonews.com/city/article922677.ece

(Yes, a shameless plug for a friend, but I also think it's good and important work.)

 

Ballard has had three I've really enjoyed:

High school wrestling coach Mike Powell: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1194725/index.htm

Kobe, Jellybean and mom: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/magazine/05/10/kobe.bryant.ballard/index.html

Tim Duncan: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1198491/index.htm

Bowden on a resolution to a 23-year-old cold case in LA. Loved the interrogation scenes.
http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2012/07/lapd-lazurus-murder-mystery-killer

Jones on Junior Seau
http://www.esquire.com/the-side/opinion/jr-seau-dead-8546574

 

Good call... Loved that article...