Edith Wharton Reveals the 'Deeper Processes' Behind Her Art

In a 1933 Atlantic article, the novelist shared her elaborate, self-aware approach to writing.

How an Ad Campaign Invented the Diamond Engagement Ring

In the 1930s, few Americans proposed with the precious stone. Then everything changed.

Why Fashion Magazines Matter

A century after being ridiculed in a 1911 Atlantic article, haute couture has evolved from pretty clothes into a powerful voice of our times.

Americans Didn't Always Worship the Founding Fathers

After the Civil War, the men who framed the Constitution gradually rose to become the Ghosts of Democracy Past: courageous, learned, and super-judgey.

John Updike's 'Pygmalion'

In the 1981 Atlantic short story, a man can’t understand a social gathering until his wife reenacts it for him later in the evening.

Helen Keller Puts the Smackdown on Mansplaining

In her 1932 Atlantic article, "Put Your Husband in the Kitchen," the writer mocks people who have lost sight of the purpose of work—men, mostly.

Revisiting 'New York After Paris'

In 1906, just as today, people loved the American metropolis less for its beauty than its vibrant energy.

But Seriously, ‘Ought Women to Learn the Alphabet?'

In 1859, The Atlantic published an essay asking a simple—and very, very complicated—question.

Who Wouldn't Want to Marry a Jew?

A tone-deaf Atlantic article from 1939 serves as a cautionary tale today.

Advice: Don't Try to Write Like David Foster Wallace

Marvel at his style, but don't imitate it.

The Best Sentence in Atlantic History?

After the Battle of Antietam, Oliver Wendell Holmes wrote a gripping story about his search for his wounded son. But one of the most memorable lines had nothing to do with the Civil War.

Still Wanted: Better Politicians

In 1955, the mayor of Philadelphia complained that elected office didn't attract America's best minds. His diagnosis and solutions still seem relevant today.

Some Words from Sylvia Plath and Betty Friedan's Forgotten Sister

Before The Bell Jar and The Feminine Mystique, another young Smith College grad had some sharp words for the cookie-cutter lives American women were expected to lead.