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.
Books
Introducing The Atlantic’s expanded books coverage: essays, criticism, fiction, poetry, and recommendations from our writers and editors
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 Does Lena Dunham Want to Tell Us?
Her new memoir captures the cost of being an impossibly popular target.
The Eighth Deadly Sin
Humankind has devised a new form of debasement.
What To Read
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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.
Six Books You Can Get Lost In
These novels highlight the power—both good and bad—of unchecked fantasizing.
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The Books Briefing
Our culture editors’ weekly guide to the best in books.
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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
Richard Price’s Radical, Retrograde Novel
In Lazarus Man, he rejects the tropes of contemporary literature.
The Queer Author Who Spoke the Plain Truth
Dorothy Allison, the Bastard Out of Carolina author who died last week, modeled the power of honesty in her writing and her life.
Why Gossip Is Fatal to Good Writing
A new book compares the authors and frenemies Joan Didion and Eve Babitz, but its fixation on their rivalry obscures the complicated truth.
Mother of the Blues
A poem for Sunday
The Century-Old Book With a Message for This Season
Thomas Mann’s The Magic Mountain offers a unique antidote to contempt and despair.
A Precise, Cutting Portrayal of Societal Misogyny
In her new book, Cho Nam-Joo captures both the universality of sexism and the specificity of women’s experiences.
The Magic Mountain Saved My Life
When I was young and adrift, Thomas Mann’s novel gave me a sense of purpose. Today, its vision is startlingly relevant.
Ode to Uncertainty
I’m not sleeping and neither are you.
Novel
A poem for Sunday
What Americans Should Read Before the Election
Alexei Navalny’s memoir, in particular, reminds readers how crucial the freedoms to vote and dissent are.