The Atlantic is announcing two journalists who are becoming staff writers: Sarah A. Topol and Jenisha Watts. Sarah will join The Atlantic in May; in her magazine career, she has reported from more than 40 countries on the effects of geopolitical change on ordinary lives.
Jenisha is now a staff writer after more than five years as a senior editor at The Atlantic. She is the author of the memorable 2023 cover story “Jenisha from Kentucky,” in which she wrote for the first time about the circumstances of her childhood. In a new piece published online this week, and in the April issue, Jenisha writes about what it is like to be uninsured in America through the story of her aunt, who suffered a debilitating aneurysm last fall.
Below is the staff announcement from editor in chief Jeffrey Goldberg:
Dear everyone,
I’m writing this morning with excellent news about two wonderful new staff writers. One is someone we already know and adore: Jenisha Watts, who has been doing excellent work for The Atlantic as a senior editor (and cover-story writer; more on that in a moment). The second is someone most of you are familiar with, at least by reputation: Sarah Topol, one of America’s leading feature writers and foreign correspondents, and a two-time winner of the National Magazine Award for Feature Writing.
First, Sarah, who comes to us from The New York Times Magazine. Sarah is easily one of the most admired and talented magazine writers working today. She has reported from more than 40 countries on a breathtaking range of complicated and dangerous subjects: She’s spent time with the boy soldiers of Boko Haram, deserters from the Russian army, and women who find themselves on the dark side of the global surrogacy market. She won the ASME award in 2020 for her Times cover story on the Rohingya genocide, and again last year for her epic (35,000 words) story about a Russian deserter. She has also won two Overseas Press Club Awards, the George Polk Award’s Sydney Schanberg Prize, and most recently the Michael Kelly Award. Having Sarah join our team is a dream come true for many of us, including and especially me. Her combination of bravery, rigor, relentlessness, and humanity is almost unique in journalism.
Next, Jenisha, who is one of the best, most talented, smartest, and most supportive colleagues we have on our team. Her talents are obvious to the world, especially after we published her stunning 2023 cover story, “Jenisha From Kentucky.” This piece remains one of the most moving and imperishable features I have ever had the privilege of publishing. Her most recent piece, “The Impossible Predicament of the Uninsured,” tells the story of America’s badly broken health-care system in memorable and personal detail.
Jenisha has long served as a key editor on the Ideas team, working on a wide range of subjects, from political analysis and sports commentary to a growing collection of beautiful personal essays. Jenisha has always been a writer’s editor, someone who sees literary potential in so much of what she encounters. Having her as a full-time writer is a great gift to our readers, and I’m so happy that she will be taking on this new role.
This is a very good day. Please join me in congratulating Jenisha and welcoming Sarah to The Atlantic.
Press Contact: Anna Bross [email protected]
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