Hipsters Were Always Hypocrites. Ask Frank Zappa.
Of the late musician’s many records, Over-Nite Sensation best crystallized his cutting satire of our country’s blank-eyed habits.
The Case for Challenging Music
Why in classical contemporary music do so many people equate challenging with intimidating—or even infuriating?
Life Really Is Better Without the Internet
What happened after my wife and I removed Wi-Fi from our home
The Tech Giants’ Anti-regulation Fantasy
Major internet companies pretend that they’re best left alone. History shows otherwise.
The Case That Could Destroy the Government
What was once a fringe legal theory now stands a real chance of being adopted by the Supreme Court.
Dear Therapist: I Don’t Want to See My Mom This Christmas
She ruins the day, but guilt-trips me when I try to opt out.
The Joys of Carole Lombard, Zadie Smith, and High-School Movies
Entertainment musts from Jennifer Senior
Port Authority
A poem for Sunday
It Will Never Be a Good Time to Buy a House
Maybe in 2030?
This Is Your Pilot Speaking
How learning to fly helped ground me
Watching a Line Cook Flip Eggs for Six Hours
TikTok has become a home to people broadcasting themselves live at work. Viewers are captivated.
The Tyranny of Stuff
The letters of Seamus Heaney reveal that he was bedeviled by the same problem that overwhelms all of us.
Anger and Frustration Grow in the House
Watch the full episode of Washington Week With The Atlantic, November 24, 2023
Why Gift Giving Is So Stressful
An Atlantic guide to giving and receiving presents—without forgetting the joy of the process
‘Post-Victimhood’ Storytelling
Chase Hall makes art made of coffee, cotton, and his own fierce individuality.
Why America Abandoned the Greatest Economy in History
Was the country’s turn toward free-market fundamentalism driven by race, class, or something else? Yes.
Travis Kelce Is Another Puzzle for Taylor Swift Fans to Crack
The pop star’s relationship with an NFL player gives fans a peculiar form of gratification.
Seven Great Reads From Our Editors
Plus: Introducing The Atlantic’s time machine
How I Lost the Russia That Never Was
I sometimes felt that we told the truth only at the funerals of our assassinated friends. Was this what Russia had been all along?
AI’s Spicy-Mayo Problem
A chatbot that can’t say anything controversial isn’t worth much. Bring on the uncensored models.
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