The Atlantic Out Loud

Many places may become uninhabitable. Many people may be on their own. By Vann R. Newkirk II From the ⁠⁠December 2025 issue⁠⁠. Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning journalism, from clear-eyed analysis and insight on breaking news. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What the photographer found in a tire pile in Modesto, California, and on the shores of Western Australia From the ⁠⁠December 2025 issue⁠⁠. Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning journalism, from clear-eyed analysis and insight on breaking news. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happened to Ryan Borgwardt? By Jamie Thompson From the ⁠⁠December 2025 issue⁠⁠. Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning journalism, from clear-eyed analysis and insight on breaking news. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A father's desperate mission unfolds as he discovers a disturbing scene involving children and a makeshift gallows. Guardians intervene in a powerful twist of public empathy, but the stakes rise when his daughter Selva takes center stage. Her rehearsed confrontation reveals layers of personal grief and systemic failure, exposing the roots of social inequality. The discussion shifts to activism and identity as Selva highlights the transformative principles of her movement. A poignant silence lingers, leaving the audience questioning the effectiveness of societal structures.

The social-media era is over. What’s coming will be much worse. By Damon Beres From the ⁠⁠December 2025 issue⁠⁠. Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning journalism, from clear-eyed analysis and insight on breaking news. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Explore the fascinating journey of critic Malcolm Cowley, who championed American literature as a distinct tradition. Discover his talent-spotting efforts that unearthed stars like John Cheever, and how his insights on Faulkner revealed a unified vision in his work. Delve into Cowley’s wartime experiences and his ties to the Lost Generation, alongside his impact on postwar writers like Bellow and Ellison. Witness his struggle to overcome political missteps and understand his lasting influence on American literary culture, all while debating the future of literary criticism.

Patti Smith opens up about her new memoir and the journey of her life as she nears 80. She reflects on her rebellious spirit and influences from her early upbringing, including leaving the Jehovah’s Witnesses for her passion for art. Discover how her family revelations reshaped her life narrative and her commitment to authenticity over fame. Smith shares her experiences with motherhood and personal loss, emphasizing resilience and creative evolution, all while maintaining a youthful curiosity mixed with the wisdom of her years.

What will we lose when we lose the “literary outdoorsman”? By Tyler Austin Harper From the ⁠⁠December 2025 issue⁠⁠. Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning journalism, from clear-eyed analysis and insight on breaking news. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump is trying to amass the powers of a king. By J. Michael Luttig From the ⁠⁠December 2025 issue⁠⁠. Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning journalism, from clear-eyed analysis and insight on breaking news. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our election system is reaching a breaking point. By David A. Graham From the ⁠⁠December 2025 issue⁠⁠. Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning journalism, from clear-eyed analysis and insight on breaking news. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices