Books
In Emily St. John Mandel’s disaster-steeped fiction, a derailed life can take multiple forms.
Abraham Lincoln’s Radical Moderation
What the president understood that the zealous Republican reformers in Congress didn’t
Books Briefing: Giving Romance a Language
How to write about the feeling that’s hardest to communicate: Your weekly guide to the best in books
Three Authentic Writers Have Occupied the Oval Office
On the literary merits of presidential writing
Samantha Hunt on the Unbearable Flatness of Being
“I’m interested in how mystery and wonder enter lives that are common and gray. Because no one is really common and gray.”
The Supreme Court’s Enduring Bias
Over the past half century, siding with the powerful against the vulnerable has been the rule in almost every area of the law.
When Hollywood’s Power Players Were Women
Female writers, directors, and producers were pioneers of the silent-film era—but were pushed out of the industry as its influence grew.
The Books Briefing: The Act of Writing Is an Oscar-Worthy Performance
Empathy on the stage and page: Your weekly guide to the best in books
Isaac Asimov’s Throwback Vision of the Future
The science-fiction giant told stories driven by a faith in humankind. One hundred years after his birth, what use do readers have for such tales?
The Books Briefing: The Artists Who Melodize Our Lives
There’s more to music than meets the ear: Your weekly guide to the best in books
The Doomed Project of American Dirt
Jeanine Cummins’s controversial new novel reveals the limits of fiction that wants readers to empathize.
The Books Briefing: Short Stories to Read and Reread This Weekend
Get ready for more original fiction from The Atlantic. Your weekly guide to the best in books.
The Books Briefing: What’s White and Black and Read All Over?
The journalists who help us contextualize: Your weekly guide to the best in books
What Captivates Children About The Snowy Day?
Ezra Jack Keats’s picture book is the most checked-out volume of all time at the New York Public Library. A professor of children’s literature examines why the book has connected with so many kids.
The Frank Bidart Poem That Sums Up How Artists Innovate
In writing, originality doesn’t have to mean rejecting traditional forms.
Why Normal People Want to Work in Silicon Valley
Anna Wiener’s new memoir, Uncanny Valley, tells the story of a regular person under the spell of disruption.
Over the centuries, our magazine has prized great storytelling. Now we’re recommitting ourselves to publishing short fiction, beginning with a story by Lauren Groff.
A Conversation With Lauren Groff About Her Writing Process
“Often before I write a scene for the final time … I take a minute, close my eyes, and build the world of the scene around me.”
A short story
The Books Briefing: First Exercise, Then Write
Health for the body, the mind, and the world: Your weekly guide to the best in books