“The essayist needs the objective world,” writes M. Gessen, the guest editor of The Best American Essays 2026, asking, “But does the objective world need the essayist?” There is no straightforward answer to Gessen’s query, yet the authors in this volume tackle it headfirst. In doing so, they provide a mosaic depicting the year 2025, examining the degradation of American media, human consciousness, queer identity, wealth disparity, illness, capital punishment, war, and art. The twenty authors featured here show us that the essay and its subjective nature make meaning of a world that is growing more incomprehensible with each day.

THE BEST AMERICAN ESSAYS 2026 INCLUDES: HILTON ALS • TAFFY BRODESSER-AKNER • ANDREA LONG CHU • FERNANDA EBERSTADT • BEN LERNER • TATIANA SCHLOSSBERG • JENNIFER SENIOR • JIA TOLENTINO • CHRISTIAN WIMAN • AND OTHERS