Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X An artisan is a craftsman, someone who produces handmade goods using as little machinery as ...

Editor’s Note: This article previously appeared in a different format as part of The Atlantic’s Notes section, retired in 2021. Everyone knows what bread is, and everyone knows what toast is. And ...

Apparently, patience is some kind of a virtue. I don’t happen to know, since for the better part of my adult life I have been trying to develop it. Unfortunately, it’s just not happening fast enough.

There’s a reason bread isn’t just considered a dietary staple, but also a linguistic one. We “break bread” with friends and family. The work most important to us is our “bread and butter.” The ...

Everyone knows what bread is, and everyone knows what toast is. And everyone knows that the first can be transformed into the second. Less clear: when, exactly, does the transformation take place?