Behind the Issue with The Atlantic: Featuring Anne Applebaum in conversation with Scott Stossel

Anne Applebaum discusses The Atlantic’s October issue and its cover story, “Empire of Grift,” in a conversation with Scott Stossel. Presented by Politics and Prose in partnership with The Atlantic, the program will explore Applebaum’s research into the current state of American foreign policy and her approach to writing the article.

Applebaum is a staff writer at The Atlantic, a senior fellow at Johns Hopkins University’s Stavros Niarchos Foundation Agora Institute and School of Advanced International Studies, and the author of books including *Red Famine*, *Iron Curtain*, and *Gulag*, which won the 2004 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction. Her more recent books include the New York Times best sellers *Twilight of Democracy* and *Autocracy, Inc.* She previously spent 15 years as a Washington Post columnist and editorial board member and has also worked for The Spectator and several British newspapers.

When: Monday, September 28, 2026

Showtimes: 7:00 p.m.

Venue: Politics and Prose at The Wharf, 610 Water Street SW, Washington, DC 20024

Tickets: Free

Seating: First come, first served

Featured speaker: Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic staff writer and author

Conversation partner: Scott Stossel, national editor of The Atlantic. He has been associated with the magazine since 1992 and is the author of *My Age of Anxiety* and *Sarge: The Life and Times of Sargent Shriver*.

Topic: The Atlantic’s October issue and Applebaum’s cover article, “Empire of Grift,” including her research on American foreign policy and her writing process.

Accessibility: To request accommodations or ask about accessibility, email events@politics-prose.com, ideally at least one week before the event. The organizers will make an effort to accommodate requests made up to the event time.