Caitlin Flanagan has written for The Atlantic since 2001 and she is a former staff writer for the New Yorker. Her subjects have included modern family life; college admissions; adolescence; sexuality; and the culture wars. Her essays have been widely anthologized, including in the Best American Essays, Best American Travel Writing, and Best American Magazine Writing series. She is the author of two books, To Hell with All That and Girl Land. She was a finalist for the 2019 Pulitzer Prize and she has won a National Magazine Award for Reviews and Criticism. Flanagan grew up in Berkeley and now lives in Los Angeles. Before becoming a writer, she was an English teacher and college counselor at Harvard-Westlake school.
"""Caitlin Flanagan is known for her willingness to engage thorny subjects in unconventional ways. Her ability to set aside preconceived notions and objectively engage a subject is on full display in On Thinking for Yourself: Instinct, Education, Dissension. . . . A great addition to the ongoing discourse around the value of perspective-taking, perfect for those hoping to elevate the approach to conversations about difficult subjects."" --Sara Beth West, Shelf Awareness"