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.
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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Scars
A short story
Fortunes
A short story
The Honor of the Layward Brothers
A short story
We Are Not One
A short story
Oliver Sacks’s Lifelong Search for Recognition
The famous neurologist and author devoted his life to revealing his patients’ humanity. He struggled harder to reveal himself.
Fossil Record for My Grandmother
A poem for Sunday
What Nikki Giovanni Wouldn’t Write About
I had the privilege of editing the poet, who died on Monday. Her biggest lesson: Keep moving forward.
‘It’s One of Those Infinite Time-Loop Situations You Might Have Heard About’
Solvej Balle’s series of novels brings up questions about physics, sustainability, and, yes, the meaning of life.
A Novel That Disrupts a Fundamental Law of the Universe
In Solvej Balle’s new series, the concept of a time loop is more than a gimmick; it’s a way of rethinking human existence.
Read These Six Books—Just Trust Us
Each title richly rewards readers who come in with little prior knowledge.
Self-Portrait: Winter Landscape, 1997
A poem for Wednesday
America Needs to Radically Rethink What It Means to Be Old
As 100-year lifespans become more common, the time has come for a new approach to school, work, and retirement.
The Carpetbagger Who Saw Texas’s Future
The notion of political realignment in the Lone Star State is older than you think. It goes back to Giant, an acidic novel by Edna Ferber.
Walk on Air Against Your Better Judgment
What Seamus Heaney gave me