The Atlantic Out Loud

In 2007, he and Merce Cunningham put a new twist on a famous 1981 sculpture. By Amy Weiss-Meyer From the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠May 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: ⁠⁠http://theatlantic.com/listen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The people we were died at the exact moment our child did. By Danielle Crittenden From the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠May 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: ⁠⁠http://theatlantic.com/listen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the richest men on Earth, everything is free and nothing matters. By Noah Hawley From the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠May 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: ⁠⁠http://theatlantic.com/listen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pastor John Mark Comer has won a massive audience by encouraging his followers to free themselves from the gnawing sense that there is always more to do. By Nancy Walecki From the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠May 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: ⁠⁠http://theatlantic.com/listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why reactionaries are taking over the world By David Brooks From the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠May 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: ⁠⁠http://theatlantic.com/listen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Humankind has devised a new form of debasement.By James Parker From the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠May 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: ⁠⁠http://theatlantic.com/listen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thirteen thousand miles. Infinite contenders. One beautiful loaf. By Caity Weaver From the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠May 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: ⁠⁠http://theatlantic.com/listen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How elderly Americans amassed disproportionate wealth and power By Idrees Kahloon From the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠May 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: ⁠⁠http://theatlantic.com/listen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Critics wrote the work off as kitsch for the masses. But a set of murals celebrating Social Security—now threatened with destruction—show that such sweeping judgments went too far. By Judith Shulevitz From the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠May 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: ⁠⁠http://theatlantic.com/listen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A new book is nostalgic for the ’90s. But the era of crossover success was not necessarily the pinnacle of Black comedic achievement. By K. Austin Collins From the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠May 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: ⁠⁠http://theatlantic.com/listen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Ben Lerner’s new novel, technology divides us further from one another, and ourselves. By Nicholas Dames From the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠May 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: ⁠⁠http://theatlantic.com/listen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The heartbreak of hoping for a democratic Iran By Laura Secor A Mexican athlete said he was kidnapped and forced to compete for his life in a tournament of gangs. But was he actually playing a different game? By McKay Coppins From the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠May 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: ⁠⁠http://theatlantic.com/listen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Mexican athlete said he was kidnapped and forced to compete for his life in a tournament of gangs. But was he actually playing a different game? By McKay Coppins From the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠May 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: ⁠http://theatlantic.com/listen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The danger of almost-perfect tech By Raffi Krikorian From the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠April 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: http://theatlantic.com/listen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Searching for the Nobel laureate in Cape Town, the city he left behind. By Gary Shteyngart From the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠April 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: ⁠http://theatlantic.com/listen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The WASPs risked their lives flying for the Army. But for decades, the U.S. government refused to recognize their military service. By Ellen Cushing From the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠April 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: ⁠http://theatlantic.com/listen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can a generation of graduates frustrated by their economic prospects change American labor politics? By George Packer From the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠April 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

The odds of being struck by lightning in America in a given year are one in 1.2 million. How does the experience reorient a person’s sense of chance, of fate? By Jacob Stern From the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠April 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

Montserrat Roig’s classic novel captures Barcelona on the cusp of unimaginable change. By Colm Tóibín From the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠April 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

The race to power AI is already remaking the physical world. By Matteo Wong From the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠April 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