The Atlantic Out Loud

A close look at Lionel Shriver’s range, from precise prose to psychological acuity. A contrast between her provocative public persona and her serious fiction. A discussion of the novel’s premise about immigration and its central characters. Critiques of tone, characterization, and melodrama that undercut the book’s aims. A reminder of Shriver’s real strengths in depicting marriage and intimacy.

A fast look at how AI could reshape work, from rapid corporate rollouts to slow, legacy-driven adoption. They cover why labor statistics struggle to spot sudden changes and how measurement delays hide real impacts. The conversation explores political resistance, retraining ideas, union roles, and profit-driven pressure pushing firms to automate.

A sweep through history from the Antonine plague to modern outbreaks. How pandemics erode trust, fuel conspiracies, and reshape politics. The rise and role of national disease control and the social norms that made it work. Recent declines in vaccination, rising infections, and policy shifts that weaken public-health defenses.

A deep dive into how Civil War prison policy and mass internment transformed warfare norms. Vivid accounts of camps like Andersonville and the scale of prisoner mortality are highlighted. The narrative traces how bureaucratic choices, rail transport, and policy shifts led to unprecedented cruelty. It ends by linking those crises to the birth of modern rules governing conduct in war.

Major exhibitions are upending the way people understand Native American and Aboriginal artists. By Susan Tallman From the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠March 2026 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

Even before competing in his first Olympics, 21-year-old Ilia Malinin has transformed the sport of figure skating. By Sally Jenkins From the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠March 2026 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

How the attorney general became a person who loves telling Trump yes By Stephanie McCrummen From the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠March 2026 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 implications of Trump's vision for a 19th-century international order. Robert Kagan outlines how this shift could lead to greater global instability and violence. He discusses the origins of the post-World War II order and how abandonment of allies may force nations like Germany and Japan to rearm. The return of contested spheres of interest threatens conflict, while China's and Russia's ambitions complicate stability. Ultimately, Kagan warns that America's declining alliances and legitimacy could turn it into a global pariah.

The very American story of Chief Buffalo Child Long Lance By David Treuer From the ⁠⁠⁠⁠February 2026 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

His fiction has found meaning in life’s gaps and love’s absence. By Adam Begley From the ⁠⁠⁠⁠February 2026 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