Behind the Issue with The Atlantic

Politics and Prose has partnered with The Atlantic for an evening of discussion surrounding the magazine’s July issue, published on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the United States, on "How to Tell the American Story.” Atlantic staff writer Clint Smith and deputy executive editor Yoni Appelbaum will explore their articles from the issue, including Smith’s report on “Being Black in Pete Hegseth’s Military” and Appelbaum’s “How America Gave Up on Its Own History.” They will discuss their approach to research and writing these magazine features, before broadening the discussion to the state of America at its 250th anniversary.Clint Smith is a staff writer at The Atlantic. He is the author of the narrative nonfiction book, How the Word Is Passed, and the poetry collections, Counting Descent and Above Ground. Yoni Appelbaum is a deputy executive editor of The Atlantic. Before joining The Atlantic, he was a lecturer on history and literature at Harvard University. He is the author of Stuck.