The New York Times Magazine: Four Boys Trained to Kill by Boko Haram

Abducted and trained to be child soldiers, they survived only by forgetting who they were. View in [Browser]( | Add nytdirect@nytimes.com to your address book. [The New York Times]( [The New York Times]( Friday, June 23, 2017 [NYTimes.com »]( "He was asked to go with five insurgents to a village for 'a small thing,' which turned out to be a beheading," writes Sarah A. Topol in this week's cover story. "Mustapha, being the newest of the group, was told to do it." This is the story of [four boys abducted]( from a small Nigerian fishing village by Boko Haram. They learned to survive, but only by forgetting who they were. Mustapha remembers with regret killing a man to steal his motorcycle: "The first two, I killed them on instruction," he explains. "The last one, nobody asked me to kill him." Elsewhere in the magazine, Adam Shatz profiles one of the [best jazz pianists alive, Craig Taborn](. Jason Zengerle writes about [North Carolina's narrowly split political environment]( asking whether its fierce divisiveness may be what lies in store for the rest of the nation. And Nitsuh Abebe writes about why we should, in fact, be [tired of "winning."]( Happy reading, Jake Silverstein Editor in Chief [Zanna, kidnapped at 13 by Boko Haram.]( Zanna, kidnapped at 13 by Boko Haram. Glenna Gordon for The New York Times [Trained to Kill: How Four Boy Soldiers Survived Boko Haram]( By SARAH A. TOPOL The four children, from a fishing village in Nigeria, were among thousands abducted by Boko Haram and trained as soldiers. They learned to survive, but only by forgetting who they were. Ryan Pfluger for The New York Times [The Ethereal Genius of Craig Taborn]( By ADAM SHATZ He has become one of the best jazz pianists alive — by disappearing almost completely into his music. [Gov. Roy Cooper at Franklinton High School in May.]( Dina Litovsky for The New York Times [Is North Carolina the Future of American Politics?]( By JASON ZENGERLE The state is narrowly split between Democratic and Republican Parties that agree on virtually nothing. Are its scorched-earth politics what the rest of us have to look forward to? [The Rise of Jeremy Corbyn and the Death Throes of Neoliberalism]( By PANKAJ MISHRA A series of failures has upended the economic order and pushed the Anglo-American right to adopt the slogans of the left. What comes next? [How a Joke About Flying Squirrels Led to an Ailing Woman’s Cure]( By LISA SANDERS, M.D. The patient’s back was killing her, and she felt weak all over. At her hospital bed, her son made a joke to ease her pain. Suddenly, he had a thought. ADVERTISEMENT [Illustration by Derek Brahney]( Illustration by Derek Brahney [Tired of ‘Winning’? You Should Be]( By NITSUH ABEBE At some point, it ceased to be about success or achievement. Now it’s all about looking powerful, at any cost. [Kubaneh (Yemeni pull-apart rolls).]( Gentl and Hyers for The New York Times [Before Croissants, There Was Kubaneh, a Jewish Yemeni Delight]( By TEJAL RAO Sweet and supple, this bread is shot through with fat to create a melting, airy bread. [Without maiming anyone or going to jail, you can correct systemic wrongs.]( Illustration by Jules Julien [Letter of Recommendation: Revenge]( By JOANNA ROTHKOPF Without maiming anyone or going to jail, you can correct systemic wrongs. [Hasan Minhaj Thinks Comedy Is for Weirdos]( Interview by SUSAN DOMINUS The “Daily Show” correspondent on hosting the White House correspondents’ dinner, being abandoned by Jon Stewart and continuing to learn from high school. [Should I Help an Unjustly Fired Co-Worker?]( By KWAME ANTHONY APPIAH The magazine’s Ethicist columnist on weighing sacrifice against benefit when trying to aid a colleague or your own grandmother, and more. ADVERTISEMENT FOLLOW NYTimes [Twitter] [@nytmag]( Get more [NYTimes.com newsletters »]( | Get unlimited access to NYTimes.com and our NYTimes apps. [Subscribe »]( ABOUT THIS EMAIL You received this message because you signed up for NYTimes.com's The New York Times Magazine newsletter. [Unsubscribe]( | [Manage Subscriptions]( | [Change Your Email]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Contact]( | [Advertise]( Copyright 2017 The New York Times Company 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018