Edith Wharton Reveals the ‘Deeper Processes’ Behind Her Art
In a 1933 Atlantic article, the novelist shared her elaborate, self-aware approach to writing.
The Best of The Atlantic
Writers and editors on their favorite stories from our 157 years.
How an Ad Campaign Invented the Diamond Engagement Ring
In the 1930s, few Americans proposed with the precious stone. Then everything changed.
Why Fashion Magazines Matter
A century after being ridiculed in a 1911 Atlantic article, haute couture has evolved from pretty clothes into a powerful voice of our times.
Americans Didn't Always Worship the Founding Fathers
After the Civil War, the men who framed the Constitution gradually rose to become the Ghosts of Democracy Past: courageous, learned, and super-judgey.
John Updike's 'Pygmalion'
In the 1981 Atlantic short story, a man can’t understand a social gathering until his wife reenacts it for him later in the evening.
Helen Keller Puts the Smackdown on Mansplaining
In her 1932 Atlantic article, "Put Your Husband in the Kitchen," the writer mocks people who have lost sight of the purpose of work—men, mostly.
Revisiting 'New York After Paris'
In 1906, just as today, people loved the American metropolis less for its beauty than its vibrant energy.
But Seriously, ‘Ought Women to Learn the Alphabet?'
In 1859, The Atlantic published an essay asking a simple—and very, very complicated—question.
Who Wouldn't Want to Marry a Jew?
A tone-deaf Atlantic article from 1939 serves as a cautionary tale today.
Advice: Don't Try to Write Like David Foster Wallace
Marvel at his style, but don't imitate it.