The Time Is Right for a ‘Great Books’ Revival
To build a better world in the age of AI, students need grounding in indispensable ideas.
What To Read
Books
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The Toll
A poem
He Was Hugely Influential. He Also Had a Foolish Streak.
A recent biography of the writer John Berger reminds us about his hefty influence—and how he could be blinkered by his convictions.
An Adaptation That’s Both ‘Excellent’ and ‘Bizarre’
Lincoln in the Bardo is a bold novel that has rightfully inspired inventive adaptations.
Fiction
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The Guardians
A short story
Disunion
A short story
I Heard You Singing
A short story
The Wisdom of Holden Caulfield
Beneath all the alienation, The Catcher in the Rye, which turns 75 this year, has a surprisingly hopeful—and ethical—outlook.
Cookbooks Are About More Than Just Food Now
The new ethos of recipe collections elevates them beyond how-to manuals: Your weekly guide to the best in books
How to Tell a War Story
To make sense of bloodshed, writers turn to different genres: Your weekly guide to the best in books
Eight Books That Explain the South
The southern travelogue is a genre with a long history. These examples helped me write my own.
The Problem With the Genius Myth
The label erases the complication and collaboration that are central to the artistic process: Your weekly guide to the best in books
Feeling Bad? Read These Books to Feel Better.
Wallowing in our worst moods can be enthralling, and even educational.
Poetry Lets Us Remember—And Move On
Where to turn when your emotions call for something other than straightforward prose: Your weekly guide to the best in books
Working It Out on the Page
Writers explore exercise and their relationship to it: Your weekly guide to the best in books
15 Books You Won’t Regret Rereading
Years after these titles were popular, they’re still worth picking up.
The Atlantic Daily: Eight Books to Read This Winter
Our writers and editors share recommendations to bring you comfort, meaning, delight, or distraction—or a mix of all four!—this season.
When Meals Nourish a Plot
Fictional feasts and memories of home cooking: Your weekly guide to the best in books