The Fairy Tale We’ve Been Retelling for 125 Years
Every generation has an Oz story, but one retelling best captures what makes L. Frank Baum’s world sing.
Three Ways to Become a Deeper Thinker
You don’t have to become a Buddhist monk to realize the value of contemplating hard questions without clear answers.
A Good Country’s Bad Choice
And what I got wrong about the 2024 election
Best of How To: Spend Time on What You Value
How to make the most of your downtime
What Pete Hegseth’s Nomination Is Really About
Revenge on the military is just the start of it.
Pam Bondi’s Comeback
In 2017, Pam Bondi was passed over as too scandal-tainted. This time, she’s the safe, acceptable fallback choice.
Winners of the 2024 International Landscape Photographer of the Year
Some of the top and winning images from this year’s landscape-photography competition
How I Demolished My Life
A home-improvement story
How America Got Mean
In a culture devoid of moral education, generations are growing up in a morally inarticulate, self-referential world.
What to Read If You’re Angry About the Election
These seven books aren’t a cure for rage and despair. Think of them instead as a prescription.
Climate Diplomacy’s $300 Billion Failure
Climate negotiations at COP29 ended in a deal that mostly showed how far the world is from facing climate change’s real dangers.
Democracy Is Not Over
Americans who care about democracy have every right to feel appalled and frightened. But then they have work to do.
The Elite College Students Who Can’t Read Books
To read a book in college, it helps to have read a book in high school.
What Pete Hegseth Doesn’t Get About Women in Combat
Trump’s allies treat every change in social norms as a DEI project gone wrong.
The Sense That Most Defines a Culture
Yáng Shuāng-zǐ’s Taiwan Travelogue shows how colonization shapes a country’s culinary landscape.
Dear Therapist: I Was the Other Woman
I know I sound naive, but this wasn’t like a “normal” affair.
Why the Past 10 Years of American Life Have Been Uniquely Stupid
It’s not just a phase.
How Friendsgiving Took Over Millennial Culture
In the past five or so years, hosting a Thanksgiving meal among friends a week before the actual holiday has become a standard part of the celebration for many young adults.
Your Armpits Are Trying to Tell You Something
The best time to apply antiperspirant is right before bed. Seriously.
The Atlantic Gift Guide
The Atlantic has chosen 65 gifts for bringing more merriment, adventure, and wonder to the ones you love.