Good morning. It's Saturday, April 25. Welcome to this week's Society & Culture newsletter. First time reading? Sign up here or click here to share with friends. |
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April is National Poetry Month, so we figured there was no better time to explore the life and work of Emily Dickinson, the reclusive poet who eventually became a household name. Then we have a primer on the cultural history of beer to retroactively celebrate National Beer Day (April 7) and justify cracking a cold one—for research! Finally, we dig into the history of romanticism, the 18th- and 19th-century creative movement that some say is primed for a resurgence.
What's on your mind? I'm happy to take feedback, whether it's good, bad, or somewhere in between. Getting in touch is as simple as hitting "reply." Looking forward to hearing from you!
—Kevin Kearney, 1440 Society & Culture Section Editor |
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A beginner's guide to Emily Dickinson
Emily Dickinson was a 19th-century American poet known for her compact yet formally inventive verse, especially her use of the em dash. Although she wrote nearly 1,800 poems, only 10 were published during her lifetime; her reputation as one of American literature's preeminent poets was not established until the 20th century. (View a collection of her poetry.)
Dickinson grew up in Amherst, Massachusetts, and lived in the area for most of her life. She mostly wrote her poetry in private—and on seemingly any scrap of paper she could find—but shared work with trusted advisers like Susan Gilbert, with whom she shared an intensely intimate relationship, and Thomas Wentworth Higginson, a well-known writer and activist. By her mid-30s, she'd grown reclusive, a choice one scholar believes was due to epilepsy.
The earliest posthumous collections of Dickinson's poems sold well, but their editors (including Higginson) altered many of Dickinson's defining traits. In 1955, the first complete edition of Dickinson's poetry used her original handwritten manuscripts as a guide, establishing her as a singular, innovative American voice in the vein of Walt Whitman.
... Explore everything else we learned about Emily Dickinson.
Also, check out ...
> Dickinson's personal herbarium, a collection of dried and pressed plants. (View)
> Three scholars discuss the poet's continued relevance. (Listen)
> Why Dickinson was briefly marketed as a children's author. (Read)
> A deep dive into the posthumous overediting of Dickinson's poems. (Read) |
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Beer, 101
Beer is an alcoholic beverage primarily made from water, grains, hops, and yeast. The drink comes in many styles, flavors, and alcohol levels, with over 100 kinds of beer consumed around the world. (See a guide to its many international styles.)
Beer can be traced back to ancient societies, with some scholars suggesting the oldest brewery was found in modern-day Israel over 13,000 years ago. The drink has a long history in America, too, with the country's first president, George Washington, once inscribing his own recipe for "Small Beer."
Recent trends and changing demographics have contributed to declining sales for the beer industry, though the drink remains a cornerstone of celebrations, sporting events, and cultural scenes. (See the best beer cities in the US.)
... Explore everything else we learned about Beer.
Also, check out ...
> American beer, by the numbers. (View)
> Take a tour of the world's northernmost brewery. (Watch)
> How alcohol rewires your brain. (Watch)
> Why a Nobel Prize winner was awarded a lifetime of Carlsberg beer. (Read) |
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A brief introduction to romanticism
Romanticism is a creative movement that spanned literature, visual art, music, poetry, and architecture in the 18th and 19th centuries. Paintings by Eugène Delacroix and Caspar David Friedrich are among the movement's most well-known works, though writers and thinkers also contributed major works. (See a collection of the movement's paintings.)
Romanticism encouraged the expression of emotion by exploring more complex areas of human psychology and using nonhuman subjects to embody intense feelings. The movement also centered on the artist's individual experiences rather than objective depictions of major historical events typical of neoclassical art.
The movement's emphasis on individualism and emotion redefined the role of the artist, and its ideas have endured or resurfaced throughout history in many disciplines. Romantic artists and their works became symbols of revolution, inspired other influential artists, and changed the landscape of art and literature.
... Explore everything else we learned about Romanticism.
Also, check out ...
> How Friedrich's natural scenes embodied the romantic ideal of "the sublime." (Watch)
> Browse William Blake's "illuminated manuscripts," which blend poetry and painting. (View)
> A dive into the movement's chief heartthrob, Lord Byron. (Watch)
> Why some contemporary writers believe in a "new romanticism." (Read) |
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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 Best Free Restaurant Bread in America
The Atlantic | Caity Weaver. Don't let the seriousness of the title fool you: Weaver's written a comic romp through the casinos, diners, and rest stops of America, turning an opportunistic listicle into a mythic quest—and a surprisingly poignant homage—that continues the legacy of New Journalism. (Read | More on New Journalism)
> The Unexpected Rise of the Global Romcom
The Dial | Rebecca Liu. The romantic comedy has mostly fallen out of favor in the US, but it's booming in other parts of the world, including India, Nigeria, and South Korea. Liu talks with film scholars and industry veterans to unpack its international popularity and the possibility of an American romcom renaissance. (Read)
> Pitchfork and 21st-Century Music Criticism
Literary Hub | Ronen Givony. The website changed the way journalists covered music, featuring punchier reviews that veered far outside the mainstream. Givony explores how a teenager started the operation from his bedroom and slowly turned it into a cultural kingmaker. (Read)
> Memoir in the Age of Oversharing
The Guardian | Blake Morrison. If intimate details are regularly revealed online, where does that leave the confessional memoir? Morrison argues well-wrought memoirs are like great novels, and should rely on style and substance more than salacious gossip or unsparing candor. (Read)
> A Night's Sleep
The Yale Review | Vincenzo Latronico. The author of the celebrated novel "Perfection" details his long struggle with "terminal insomnia" and the maddening cycle that it creates. (Read) |
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“If I read a book and it makes my whole body so cold no fire can ever warm me, I know that is poetry. If I feel physically as if the top of my head were taken off, I know that is poetry. These are the only ways I know it. Is there any other way?” |
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