Five Books for People Who Really Love Books
These five titles focus on the many connections we can form with what we read.
In Search of a Nonexistent Cure
In his new book, Cody Delistraty chronicles his almost decade-long journey to heal his grief—only to discover that there is no remedy.
T at 42
A poem for Sunday
Will Publishing’s Diversity Gains Last?
Published works of fiction by nonwhite authors more than doubled from 2019 to 2023—but we may now be seeing a reversal in this trend.
The Enduring Fascination With Women in Water
Female swimmers have always challenged the boundary between sport and spectacle.
Has the DEI Backlash Come for Publishing?
A new study reveals positive changes since 2020. But can they last?
Cassandra
A poem for Wednesday
The Truth About America’s Most Common Surgery
A new book explores the history of the Cesarean section—and how it explains what’s broken about American health care.
What to Read to Understand How People Get Tricked
Each of these titles will stick with you and, perhaps, make you more likely to realize when you’re not seeing the truth.
Night Terrors
Published in The Atlantic in 1995
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.
Rachel Cusk’s Lonely Experiment
First she abandoned plot in her fiction; now characters must go.
American Women Are at a Breaking Point
In the U.S., government support for families seems transgressive. It shouldn’t be.
Eight Books to Read If You’re in a Creative Slump
These books dispense practical advice on managing one’s ambitions—or describe the dread of writer’s block with precision and humor.
The Father-Son Talk I Never Expected to Have
I almost never spoke about my past as an addict. Then adolescence came for my son.
What to Read When You Have Only Half an Hour
A short story has velocity and verve, and the best ones create an immediate, instinctual bond between the reader and the characters.
The Long View of the Challenger Disaster
Adam Higginbotham’s new book on the tragedy manages to add depth to a well-known story.
What a Year on Ozempic Taught Johann Hari
A chronicler of addictions struggles to control himself.
What the Challenger Disaster Proved
We take the workings of wide, complicated technological systems on faith. But they depend on people—and, sometimes, people fail.
The Ghost of Johnnie Taylor Reflects
A poem for Wednesday