Gal Beckerman

Gal Beckerman is a staff writer at The Atlantic. He is the author, most recently, of The Quiet Before: On the Unexpected Origins of Radical Ideas.

Latest

  1. Five Tiny Pieces of Paper

    That’s all it took for one artist to become a target for Vladimir Putin.

    Prisoner swap, Putin
    Illustration by Paul Spella / The Atlantic. Sources: Dmitry Lovetsky / AFP / Getty; Pool / Getty.
  2. The Wannabe Tough-Guy Presidency

    A rough-and-tumble icon of masculinity who loves executive power—now, who does that sound like?

    Photo of Teddy Roosevelt with Trump's eyes superimposed
    Illustration by Ben Kothe / The Atlantic. Sources: Vernon Lewis Gallery / Stocktrek Images / Getty; Justin Sullivan / Getty.
  3. What Writer’s Block Feels Like

    Being stuck is a regular affliction when you do this work for a living, though it can affect anyone who just has to write an email or a birthday card—all of us, that is.

    An open book radiating light
    Illustration by Matteo Giuseppe Pani. Source: Getty.