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
In Search of an 11th-Century Novelist in Kyoto
For some, including the author Lauren Groff, travel remains a spiritual endeavor.
A Tale of Sex and Intrigue in Imperial Kyoto
A thousand years ago, Murasaki Shikibu wrote The Tale of Genji, the world’s first novel. Who was she?
She Has No Autonomy. Can She Be Happy?
Kate Riley’s perceptive debut novel, Ruth, depicts the life of a woman in a repressive sect without an ounce of sanctimony.
These Books Won’t Make You a Better Person
A new generation of disabled writers isn’t interested in inspiring readers.
Paragraph
A poem
What Muriel Spark Knew About Childhood
The author was realistic about the effect a particularly magnetic figure can have on a young, impressionable person.
Why So Many MIT Students Are Writing Poetry
A professor at the Institute discovered that his students were quietly meeting outside class to write verse. What might it mean for the future of AI?
How Not to Fix American Democracy
A new book argues for making the U.S. a “true” democracy, but fails at the essential strategy of persuasion.
Surface Support
A poem
The Judgments of Muriel Spark
The novelist liked playing God—a very capricious one.