The Place of Politics in Fiction
Should novelists write the world as it is or as it should be?
Chimamanda Adichie Is a Hopeless Romantic
Discussing Dream Count, her first novel in 12 years, the Nigerian author shares her thoughts on masculinity, political chaos, and the future of fiction.
Why the Trump Administration Canceled Me
I was supposed to give a book talk about civil rights at the Jimmy Carter Library. I think I know why the invitation was rescinded.
Chimamanda Adichie’s Fiction Has Shed Its Optimism
The Nigerian American author’s first novel in 12 years depicts troubled relations between men and women—but no tidy resolutions.
Amphigory
A poem
A Delightfully Frenetic Cult Classic
Chloe Caldwell’s Women revolves around a life-altering yet toxic affair.
The Island Nation Whose History Reflects America’s
Rich Benjamin’s new book reveals a shared spirit between the world’s first Black republic and the United States.
How Ross Douthat’s Proselytizing Falls Short
The columnist’s new book, Believe, argues for religion from a rational perspective. It won’t make a believer out of me.
The Dangers of Philo-Semitism
In a new book, Pankaj Mishra twists Holocaust remembrance into a source of all the world’s evil. He couldn’t be more wrong.
Six Older Books That Deserve to Be Popular Today
In recent years, these titles have found themselves justifiably rescued from oblivion.
Santa Filomena
A poem published in The Atlantic in 1857
Thinking About Divorce in a New Way
Haley Mlotek’s new memoir finds a fresh way to talk about the dissolution of a marriage.
A Novel That Boldly Rethinks the Border
Fernando A. Flores’s fantasia depicts the U.S.-Mexico border of the near future as a site of both exploitation and near-limitless possibilities.
A Divorce Memoir With No Lessons
Haley Mlotek’s new book provides neither catharsis nor remedies for heartache, but rather a tender exploration of human intimacy.
When Robert Frost Was Bad
Before he became America’s most famous poet, he wrote some real howlers.
Domestic
A poem
The Fantasy of a More Neighborly Past
Sun City offers evidence that Americans’ widespread isolation began long before they became absorbed in their phones.
Seven Books That Capture How Love Really Feels
These books are all exquisite arguments for the necessity of stories about romance.
A Revelatory Way of Understanding the Black Experience
Imani Perry’s latest book examines the intersections between the color blue and the history of her people.
America in 2025
A poem