New Journalism, Pickleball, and Tolstoy's Mac and Cheese

Plus the best takes on chess, post-literacy, and Neil Young

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Good morning. It's Saturday, Dec. 6. Welcome to this week's Society & Culture newsletter. First time reading? Sign up here or click here to share with friends.

Yesterday was writer Joan Didion's birthday, so today we're exploring New Journalism, the groundbreaking form of creative nonfiction she helped pioneer. After that, we have a history of pickleball, the fastest-growing sport in the US, and an introduction to William Shakespeare, the legendary poet and playwright.

Let me know what's on your mind! Is there a topic you want to see covered? Is there something we could improve? Hit "reply" and say "hello."

—Kevin Kearney, 1440 Society & Culture Section Editor

A Novel Approach to Reporting

New Journalism, 101

New Journalism is a literary nonfiction style that emerged in the 1960s, emphasizing writing craftsmanship and subjectivity while challenging traditional nonfiction conventions. Abandoning the premise of the journalist as an invisible, neutral reporter, New Journalism writers used the tools of the novel and often inserted themselves into the unfolding story.

Gay Talese’s 1966 profile “Frank Sinatra Has a Cold” is widely regarded as the defining work of the movement and one of the most acclaimed celebrity profiles ever written. The revealing portrait of an American icon employed a tone previously exclusive to fiction. Writers such as Joan Didion, Truman Capote, John Hersey, and Hunter S. Thompson helped evolve the form, covering real-life events that ranged from shocking accounts of gruesome crimes to satirical portrayals of horse races.

While its critics find the style to be an affront to fact-based reporting, New Journalism has had a lasting influence on the incorporation of subjectivity in journalism, especially in today’s audio- and video-driven media landscape.

Also, check out ...

> Despite pioneering the style, Gay Talese never fully accepted the title "New Journalism." (Watch)

> Didion's essay on the Central Park Five was one of the first to suggest their innocence. (Read)

> Tom Wolfe's seminal essay on the rise of "low culture" began as a letter to his editor. (Watch)

> A member of the Hell's Angels confronted Hunter S. Thompson about how he portrayed the gang in a bestselling book. (Watch)

Explore everything else we've found on New Journalism.

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Dill With It

The brief history of pickleball

Pickleball is a fast-paced racquet sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton, and table tennis to create a fun, easy-to-learn game that people of all ages and skill levels can play.

Pickleball was invented in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington, by Bill Bell and then-Washington state congressman Joel Pritchard as a way to entertain their bored children. The sport gained national recognition with a 1975 National Observer article, but the first official pickleball tournament in spring 1976 officially changed pickleball from a backyard pastime to a competitive sport.

The outdoor game experienced a surge in popularity during the 2020 pandemic because it could be set up in driveways, be played by all ages, and allowed for safe social interactions. A March 2023 APP report showed 48.3 million American adults played the sport in the last 12 months.

Also, check out ...

> A Boeing engineer created a next-generation pickleball paddle in the 1980s. (Watch)

> A Texas billionaire created the first team-focused pickleball league. (Read)

> One Connecticut prison is using pickleball for rehabilitation. (Read)

> The sport's sudden rise in popularity has led to a power struggle with tennis players. (Watch)

Explore everything else we've found on pickleball.

Bardology

A beginner's guide to Shakespeare

William Shakespeare is one of the most well-known and well-regarded writers in the English language. He’s the author of 154 sonnets and approximately 38 plays, which are responsible for turns of phrase and tropes still used today.

Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, in 1564 and died in 1616. He’s commonly referred to as “the Bard” or “the Poet,” titles that speak to his stature in English literature. (See a timeline of his life.)

Thanks to the “First Folio,” Shakespeare’s works are still taught and staged around the world. Although he has been dead for over four centuries, his influence can still be felt through what scholars say is a lasting impact on the ways we understand ourselves and our history.

Also, check out ...

> Shakespeare popularized a new form of the sonnet. (Watch)

> One of Shakespeare's contemporaries criticized his abilities and accused him of plagiarism. (Read)

> Literary critic Harold Bloom argued Shakespeare invented the modern human. (Watch)

> A scholar analyzes how Shakespearean productions have reflected American history. (Listen)

Explore everything else we've found on Shakespeare.

Cultural Context

Beyond our weekly deep dives, we love finding great takes on the culture currently shaping our lives. Here are some of the best reactions, profiles, and think pieces we encountered this week.

> The Grandmaster

Victory Journal | David Hill. James Canty was an elite chess player as a child and earned the title Master by his senior year of high school. After falling away from the game for a number of years, he's back, attempting to reach the vaunted status of Grandmaster. (Read)

> The Dawn of the Post-Literate Society

Cultural Capital | James Marriott. Much has been written about the effects of smartphones, but Marriott homes in on one particularly pervasive impact: the way they've redefined literacy. He argues that the device has changed the way we write and think, and that it's had severe repercussions for childhood reading. (Read)

> Toward a Unified Theory of MrBeast

The Ringer | Justin Charity. Jimmy Donaldson, better known as YouTuber MrBeast, recently opened his own theme park in Saudi Arabia, appropriately named Beast Land. Charity attempts to pin down what, exactly, has made Donaldson so popular with younger generations. (Read)

> Warhol's Lifelong Obsession With Perfume

Artnet | Verity Babbs. Warhol is primarily known for his cheeky pop art, though he also produced his own perfume, including one late '60s batch that earned him a cease-and-desist letter. Babbs explains how Warhol's Catholic upbringing influenced his interest in scents, a passion that followed him to his deathbed. (Read)

> Folk, Feedback, and Fury

Quillette | David Cohen. Neil Young—a member of Buffalo Springfield, Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, and a songwriter with an illustrious solo career—turned 80 last month. Cohen unpacks Young's career, detailing the immeasurable impact he's had on rock 'n' roll. (Read)

In partnership with CookUnity

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This meal delivery service features a roster of 180+ award-winning chefs (like Chef Marcus Samuelsson) who create weekly menus of restaurant-quality food. Each meal is carefully crafted, never frozen, and ready to heat and eat in as little as 2 minutes (plus, the rotating menu keeps things fresh so your palate never gets bored). Check out CookUnity right here and get 50% off your first week, plus 10% off the following three weeks.

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Best of the Week

We curate hundreds of resources into 1440 Topics each week. Here are some of our favorites from the world of society and culture.

> Your Thanksgiving meal likely included some traditions, but we're guessing cow tongue wasn't one of them.

> Hollywood movie ratings sometimes rely on subjective criteria.

> One podcast unpacks the problem with for-profit education.

> Painter Margaret Keane outwitted her plagiarist husband by recreating her work in a courtroom.

> According to scientists, your favorite music can minimize physical pain.

> Nineteenth-century Russian writer Leo Tolstoy made a mean macaroni and cheese.

> "Super Mario Bros." was so popular in the 1980s that its supervillain was given his own TV show.

> Alfred Hitchcock directed "Rear Window," but it was based on a short story by Cornell Woolrich.

> Monty Python inadvertently inspired the internet term "spam."

> Bugs may seem like a strange cuisine, but over 2 billion people enjoy them every year.

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New Journalism, Pickleball, and Tolstoy's Mac and Cheese