Good morning. It's Saturday, June 6. 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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The Tony Awards are tomorrow, so we're exploring the world of Broadway to prepare for theater's biggest night. Then, we break down the life and legacy of British writer Charles Dickens in honor of the anniversary of his death. Finally, we unpack the history of board games, just in time for your summer vacation.
What's on your mind? Is there anything you'd like us to cover? Something we could be doing better? We're always looking to improve, so don't hesitate to reach out. Getting in touch is as simple as hitting "reply."
—Kevin Kearney, 1440 Society & Culture Section Editor |
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Editor's note: In last week's email, we stated that commercial radio began in 1920 with a station in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The truth is a little more complicated due to debates over the word "commercial." Thanks to reader Barry M. for bringing this to our attention! |
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Broadway, 101
Broadway is shorthand for the Broadway theater district, an area in New York City's Manhattan borough that occupies a small segment of the road of the same name. Although the Broadway theater district has a relatively small geographic footprint, its 41 theaters stage some of the world's most popular productions of plays and musicals. (See a map of the area.)
A "Broadway show" means a show that runs at a Broadway theater, though the classification doesn't necessarily include every theater within the Broadway theater district. Instead, a Broadway theater is a theater in the district that seats over 500 people. (Learn the difference between "Broadway" and "Off-Broadway.")
Tomorrow night's Tony Awards celebrate the year's best Broadway productions and performances, with this year's nominees including "The Lost Boys," "Schmigadoon!," and "Death of a Salesman." (Read one critic's predictions for the awards.)
... Explore everything else we learned about Broadway.
Also, check out ...
> Check out a list of Broadway's best songs. (Watch)
> The San Diego playhouse that acts as a testing ground for Broadway. (Watch)
> How Rodgers and Hammerstein transformed Broadway. (Read)
> Why the star-studded "Spider-Man" musical flopped. (Watch) |
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In partnership with Shopify |
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What Golde’s Founder Learned by Slowing Down |
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Trinity Mouzon Wofford founded Golde in her Brooklyn apartment in 2017 with one goal: cover rent. As her business—and meeting schedule—ballooned, making time for lunch became non-negotiable. This philosophy carries through to her new cookbook Eating at Home that makes the case for slowing down in a busy culture.
"I think that we are in a cultural moment where busy-ness is holy,” she told Shopify's In Stock. “I am most satisfied in my identity as an entrepreneur and my daily life where I structure things in a way that I don’t have to rush."
The full story is on In Stock, Shopify's newsletter about entrepreneurship. Subscribe for more stories like it. |
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A beginner's guide to Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens was a British writer known primarily for his 19th-century novels, which illustrated the trials and tribulations of the working class during the Industrial Revolution. Works like "A Tale of Two Cities," "Oliver Twist," and "A Christmas Carol" balanced broad entertainment with cutting satire, turning him into a literary celebrity. (Read his books for free.)
Dickens began working as a reporter in his teens and eventually started publishing his own fiction in serialized form, releasing chapters from his novels incrementally. Often, the chapters ended on cliff-hangers, encouraging readers to purchase the next chapter when it was released.
Although some critics consider Dickens' characters two-dimensional and his themes overly sentimental, his fans and scholars praise his ability to balance mass appeal with social critique. The stories continue to resonate with readers; over 150 years after his death, Dickens' novels are still in print and are consistently adapted for the stage and screen. (See a list of the best Dickens adaptations.)
... Explore everything else we learned about Charles Dickens.
Also, check out ...
> Take a walking tour of Dickens' London. (Watch)
> Dickens used a beloved character to turn an early work into a bestseller. (Read)
> How Dickens' pet raven inspired Edgar Allan Poe. (Read)
> The "magical lantern" Dickens used to enhance his live readings. (Watch) |
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An introduction to board games
Board games are tabletop games that require players to move across a patterned board toward a destination or objective, usually by using figurines, dice, cards, and other components. While they're primarily for entertainment, board games often tap into cultural concerns, beliefs, and narratives.
Senet and the Royal Game of Ur, two of the earliest known board games, were believed to have been played by the ancient Egyptians and Sumerians, respectively. The first known American board game, The Travellers' Tour Through the United States, was published in 1822 and was intended to teach geography. (Browse a timeline of board games in the US.)
Despite the ubiquity of video games and the internet, analog board games are currently experiencing a resurgence: Between 2019 and 2025, sales in the US jumped by more than 30%.
... Explore everything else we learned about Board Games.
Also, check out ...
> Play a digital version of the Royal Game of Ur. (View)
> How The Landlord's Game was stolen and rebranded as Monopoly. (Read)
> Why Candyland was created for children in polio wards. (Read)
> An '80s news report about parents who believed Dungeons and Dragons was demonic. (Watch) |
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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.
> Paul McCartney Is a Kid Again
The Ringer | Ben Lindbergh. The Beatle just released his 20th solo album, "The Boys of Dungeon Lane," a nostalgic collection of songs that's decidedly not the plaintive reflection on mortality typical of aging rock stars. In this thoughtful review, Lindbergh explores why Macca opts for a different path. (Read)
> The Bad Beer That's an Incredible Beverage
The Atlantic | Tyler Austin Harper. The craft beer revolution appears to be over, with the millennials who spearheaded it embracing watery domestics. Harper writes a begrudging ode to Miller Lite, which he argues is the best of the bunch thanks to its relative blandness. (Read | More on Beer)
> Art, but Make It Sports
Mpls.St.Paul Magazine | Steve Marsh. LJ Rader runs the popular Instagram account @artbutmakeitsports, which pairs contemporary sports images with classic works of art, like an uncanny side by side of a WNBA matchup and Michiel Sweerts' "Plague in an Ancient City." This interview explores his surprisingly loose curatorial process. (Read)
> To YouTube and Beyond
The Guardian | Jesse Hassenger. The impressive openings for "Backrooms" and "Obsession," two horror movies directed by young directors who got their start on YouTube, have left the film industry reconsidering how it does business. (Read | More on Horror)
> Consider the Sister
The Small Bow | Lindsey Adler. Since renowned writer David Foster Wallace died by suicide in 2008, his impact on American literature has reached mythical levels. Adler shifts the focus from Wallace to his sister, Amy, looking to understand what it's like to be the one left behind, tending to a legacy. (Read) |
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A $500 Table for Eating Takeout on the Couch |
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