The Defiant Strangeness of Werner Herzog
The director brings his signature theme—adventurers who share his quixotic compulsions—to his debut novel.
Introducing an Expanded Books Section
This magazine has always been a destination for great writers and for those who love literature. That’s why we’re making books a much bigger part of what we do.
Cold, Ashamed, Relieved: On Leaving Russia
A Russian writer describes the journey of those, like himself, who chose exile rather than remain as their country invaded Ukraine.
The America That Killed George Floyd
In a new biography of the man whose murder sparked massive protests, two reporters tell a longer story of institutional racism.
The Arrested Development of Geoff Dyer
In The Last Days of Roger Federer, Geoff Dyer writes about what happens when creative geniuses age—but he might need to do some maturing himself.
Office Hours
A short story
Summer Reading Guide
The Atlantic’s writers and editors have picked books to transport you, surprise you, and inspire you.
Joan Didion’s Magic Trick
What was it that gave her such power?
Desire
A poem for Sunday
The Imprisoned Egyptian Activist Who Never Stopped Campaigning for His Country’s Future
Alaa Abd el-Fattah’s writings reveal where the revolution lost steam, and how to rebuild its momentum.
The Allure of the Campus Novel
Why schools provide such fertile ground for fiction: Your weekly guide to the best in books
The Clearest Account Yet of How Trump’s Team Botched the Pandemic
Deborah Birx’s Silent Invasion offers more detail and nuance than any other pandemic book.
The Calamity of Unwanted Motherhood
Penelope Mortimer’s 64-year-old novel is a powerful argument for letting women choose when and whether they become a parent.
Tracy Flick vs. Toxic Masculinity
Tom Perrotta reassesses his ’90s antihero.
As the Climate Changes, So Does Fiction
Planetary warming is no longer the sole province of “climate fiction.” It’s creeping into all kinds of writing.
The Essential Sophie Gilbert Reading List
A staff writer at The Atlantic since 2016, Gilbert is a finalist for the 2022 Pulitzer Prize in Criticism.
In the Hospital Rooms of My Country
A poem for Sunday
On Trying to Create Art When the Baby’s Crying
A new book explores several major “mother-artists” of the mid-to-late-20th century, and how they managed to be both.
The Messy Line Between Faith and Reason
When we notice the overlap between the divine and the secular, we can see how nuanced human belief is: Your weekly guide to the best in books
How Primate Research Was Hijacked by Sexist Ideologues
The shared history of apes and humans has long been put to political use.