The Atlantic Launches "The Atlantic Books," a New Long-Form Digital Imprint

Washington, D.C. (May 1, 2013)—The Atlantic today launched "The Atlantic Books," a new long-form digital imprint for the magazine's expanding ebook initiatives. The debut title, Denial by Jonathan Rauch, is available today. Rauch's memoir is by turns harrowing and funny, a grippingly intimate trek through a maze of self-torment that ends with his unexpected discovery, at the age of 25, that he is gay.

The Atlantic Books is the first of several paid product initiatives The Atlantic will unveil this year. Details about the next product will be announced in coming weeks.

"The launch of The Atlantic Books reflects our commitment to innovation in publishing in the service of great journalism and storytelling," said M. Scott Havens, president of The Atlantic. "I can't think of a better inaugural book for our new imprint than Denial, a work that, I'm hopeful, will have an impact far beyond this digital medium."

"Over the two decades that Jonathan has been writing for The Atlantic, he's produced revelatory articles on everything from politics to foreign policy to, in our current issue, end-of-life care. But this book is his most powerful work," added James Bennet, editor in chief of The Atlantic. "We are honored to make it the debut title of The Atlantic Books."

Rauch, a contributing editor at The Atlantic, writes with searing honesty about a journey begun as a young boy when he realizes he will never marry. At the time this seems merely a simple, if odd, fact, but as his attraction to boys grows stronger, he is pulled into a vortex of denial. For 25 years, he lives in an inverted world, where love is hate, attraction is envy, and childhood never ends. He comes to think of himself as a kind of monster—until one day, seemingly miraculously, the world turns itself upright and the possibility of love floods in.