Bad Luck, Bad Choices

In Richard Russo’s novels, the American dream feels like a cruel joke. By Mark Oppenheimer From the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠September 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Aug 22, 2026

Embed this episode

Attribution link and audio player

Ready to play

Bad Luck, Bad Choices

0:00 15:27

1×

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

Share this episode

Similar Episodes

No similar episodes found.

Similar Podcasts

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of The Atlantic Out Loud?

This episode is 15 minutes long.

When was this The Atlantic Out Loud episode published?

This episode was published on August 22, 2026.

Can I download this The Atlantic Out Loud episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.

URL copied to clipboard!