Scott Stossel

Scott Stossel is the national editor of The Atlantic magazine and the author of the New York Times bestseller My Age of Anxiety: Fear, Hope, Dread, and the Search for Peace of Mind and the award-winning Sarge: The Life and Times of Sargent Shriver. Scott StosselScott Stossel has been associated with the magazine since 1992 when, shortly after graduating from Harvard, he joined the staff and helped to launch The Atlantic Online. In 1996, he moved to The American Prospect where, over the course of seven years, he served as associate editor, executive editor, and culture editor. He rejoined the Atlantic staff in 2002.

His articles have appeared in a wide array of publications, including The New Yorker, The New Republic, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Boston Globe. His 2004 book, Sarge: The Life and Times of Sargent Shriver, inspired The Boston Globe to write, "Scott Stossel's superb new biography is an extraordinary achievement," while Publisher's Weekly declared, "This is a superbly researched, immensely readable political biography." His most recent book, My Age of Anxiety: Fear, Hope, Dread, and the Search for Peace of Mind, became a top-ten New York Times bestseller in its first week of publication.

Within the Atlantic offices, Scott will be forever remembered as the managing editor who oversaw the magazine's 2005 move to Washington from Boston, where it had been based since its founding in 1857. Under Scott's supervision, the magazine shifted all of its operations from Boston's North End to the Watergate building, all the while producing issues that were later nominated for National Magazine Awards.

Along with writing and editing, Scott has taught courses in the American Studies Department at Trinity College. He lives with his family in Washington, D.C.

Latest

  1. The Unbearable Greatness of Djokovic

    Novak Djokovic may be the greatest tennis player ever—and I can’t stand him.

    Illustration showing Novak Djokovic in various Tennis positions
    Illustration by Paul Spella / The Atlantic; Sources: Fred Mullane / ISI Photos / Getty; Tullio Puglia / Getty; Matteo Ciambelli / Getty; Dan Istitene / Getty.
  2. William Whitworth’s Legacy

    The longtime editor of The Atlantic believed in the sanctity of facts—and the need to fortify the magazine continually with new voices and writing driven by ideas.

    Bill Whitworth
    Linda Cataffo / NY Daily News Archive / Getty
  3. Putting Trump on the Couch

    A new novel from the psychiatrist famous for Listening to Prozac imagines a Trumplike president’s sessions with a shrink.

    Donald Trump on a couch
    Photo-illustration by Joanne Imperio / The Atlantic. Source: Getty.
  4. Trump Versus the Judiciary

    The rare rebuke that John Roberts made in November is evidence that he fears for the viability of our political system.

    Neil Gorsuch speaks as President Donald Trump looks on.
    Eric Thayer / Reuters