The End of the American Century
What the life of Richard Holbrooke tells us about the decay of Pax Americana
May 2019
In This Issue
The Health Report: One doctor’s penance for overprescribing opioids, and the trouble with dentistry. Plus George Packer on the American century’s end, Kamala Harris takes her shot, Walt Whitman and democracy, Trump’s second term, the poetry of sportswriters, yet another George Bush, and more.
Cover Story
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Kamala Harris Takes Her Shot
No other matchup would be as riveting—or as revealing—as Harris versus Trump. But first she has to get through the primaries.
Physicians Get Addicted Too
Lou Ortenzio was a trusted West Virginia doctor who got his patients—and himself—hooked on opioids. Now he’s trying to rescue his community from an epidemic he helped start.
The Truth About Dentistry
It’s much less scientific—and more prone to gratuitous procedures—than you may think.
Walt Whitman’s Guide to a Thriving Democracy
America had a mind shaped by its Founders, but the country needed the poet to discover its spirit.
Dispatches
Edmon de Haro Trump’s Second Term
It’s more likely than most people think—and compared with his first term, its effects would be far more durable.
James Graham Watch Your Wallet
Why pickpockets love our digitally distracted age
Tamara Shopsin Why Grown-Ups Keep Talking Like Little Kids
Embracing your inner child is comforting and fun—and just might revitalize the English language.
John Cuneo The Next George Bush Bet Everything on Trump
In a time of outsider politics, can the ultimate insider resurrect his family’s brand?
Esther Aarts Human Drugs Are Polluting the Water—And Animals Are Swimming in It
Salmon on psychotropics, platypuses on prozac, and other strange tales from the wild
Israel G. Vargas Stock Picks From Space
Investors are using real-time satellite images to predict retailers’ sales. Is that cheating?
Joe McKendry Discovering the Placebo
A very short book excerpt
The Culture File
Patrick Leger The Lost Art of Deadline Writing
A new anthology of sportswriting celebrates the poetry written in the press box.
Jules Julien The Problem With High-Minded Politics
John Adams and John Quincy Adams’s virtuous disdain for partisanship was at the root of their failures.
Katherine Lam The Death of the Pioneer Myth
A remarkable novel, Lost Children Archive, and a work of history, The End of the Myth, reckon with a walled border.
Flip Schulke Archives / Mirrorpix / Arsh Raziuddin / The Atlantic Art After Sexual Assault
Siri Hustvedt’s new novel explores fiction’s role in feminist consciousness-raising.
Riverhead A Gilded Cage
A daughter explores the dark secrets of a family legacy.
Departments
The Conversation: The Case for Impeachment
Readers respond to our March 2019 cover story and more.
Graham Roumieu What Is the Greatest Act of Courage?
A big question
Poetry
Melinda Josie
