Travels Into America's Future The American West -- with its vast collisions of people and resources, of people and government, of people and other people -- offers a view of history on fast-forward, where the forces transforming all of North America are nakedly at work. by Robert D. Kaplan
Hymn The author some years ago became a churchgoer, a "jarringly pale face" in the congregation of a black Baptist church. This is the story of her Sundays. by Emily Hiestand
The Writing Life You've got to hire the right people. You've got to know how to manage. Above all, you've got to delegate. by Ian Frazier

Reports Notes & Comment: A Republic -- If We Can Keep It Campaign-finance corruption threatens the American experiment itself. by Joseph Lieberman The Environment: The Danger of Space Junk Facing up to the newest garbage crisis. by Steve Olson Americana: Sculptures in Leather The saddlemakers of Sheridan, Wyoming. by Jane and Michael Stern Government: Nine Misconceptions About Social Security Is the "trust fund" really just a bookkeeping charade? Much of what we take for granted may be untrue. by Dean Baker Humor, Fiction, & Poetry Aubade A poem by Terese Svoboda I Studied Love A poem by Yehuda Amichai American Flamingo A poem by Greg Pape Everything in This Country Must A short story by Colum McCann Web-Only: Some Strange Vessel An Atlantic Unbound interview with Colum McCann. Fortitude A drawing by Guy Billout Browse and search The Atlantic's online archive.		Arts & Leisure Travel: Autumn Becomes Ireland The days are short, the shadows are long, the roads are lonely -- a perfect time for Ireland. by Richard Todd Sport: Dark Passage An excursion into California's longest known cave. by Andrew Todhunter Books The Voice of Economic Nationalism The Great Betrayal, by Patrick J. Buchanan by Eyal Press More Is Less The Fall of a Sparrow, by Robert Hellenga by Ralph Lombreglia Brief Reviews by Phoebe-Lou Adams Other Departments 77 North Washington Street Contributors Letters (Send a letter to the editor.) The July Almanac At Last Count To See and Be Seen by Allan Reeder The Puzzler by Emily Cox & Henry Rathvon Word Court by Barbara Wallraff The seahorse symbol indicates that an article is supplemented with audio, an author interview, or other Web-only sidebar.
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