Is Cohabitation the Feminist Future?
Stories about women living together are proliferating—and offering alternative visions to the nuclear family.
Books
Introducing The Atlantic’s expanded books coverage: essays, criticism, fiction, poetry, and recommendations from our writers and editors
Peter Hujar’s Photos Are All the Rage. He’d Be Shocked.
A new biography brings the late photographer’s relationship with the artist Paul Thek to vivid life.
If You Want a Better World, Act Like You Live in It
We’ve had Henry David Thoreau the environmentalist, the libertarian, the life coach. To understand his influence, think of him first as a dissident.
The Publishing Mystery That No One Wants to Talk About
A minimally speaking autistic man just wrote a best-selling book. Or did he?
The Paradox of Modern Medicine
Testing has become so advanced that doctors now miss important elements of diagnosis.
What To Read
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Eight of the Most Fascinating Biographies to Read
Each is animated by the author’s love—for their subject, for language, and for pushing the boundaries of what the genre can do.
Six Books That Simply Must Be Talked About
These six books demand discussion—with a pal, a date, or a book club.
Nine Books to Reset Your View of the World
Each of these titles will widen your perspective, offering you original insight and vision.
Seven Books to Read When You Have No Time to Read
These titles are worth picking up, even if you have only a moment to spare.
Newsletter
The Books Briefing
Our culture editors’ weekly guide to the best in books.
Subject to The Atlantic's Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions
Fiction
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Scars
A short story
Fortunes
A short story
The Honor of the Layward Brothers
A short story
We Are Not One
A short story
What to Read When You Want to Quit
These titles help readers think through pressing questions about modern employment—including whether it’s time to walk away.
A Marriage That Changed Literary History
Fanny Stevenson forced her husband, Robert Louis Stevenson, to live a bigger life than he had known.
This Is Not Your Typical Campus Novel
Karla Cornejo Villavicencio’s debut work of fiction captures the paradox of immigrant identity in the United States.
James Baldwin’s Most Underappreciated Talent
His personal letters deserve as much recognition as his novels and plays.
The Brilliance in James Baldwin’s Letters
The famous author, who would have been 100 years old today, was best known for his novels and essays. But correspondence was where his light shone brightest.
The Contract
A poem for Wednesday
The Psychic Wounds of Being a Whistleblower
A new book looks at medical-research scandals and the price paid by the people who exposed them.
The Painful Reality of Loving a Conspiracy Theorist
What do you do when a family member falls for QAnon?
Athena
A poem for Sunday
The Best Books for the Olympics
Literature and sports are a team that can go for gold.