Look Lively! It’s the Weekender Newsletter

What if you could have coffee every Saturday morning with Dorothy Woodend and other friends who tip you off to what’s current in arts and ideas?

Done! Starting Saturday morning, March 1, the newest newsletter in The Tyee universe will be delivered to subscribers. Introducing the Weekender newsletter, a lively extension of The Tyee’s recently launched weekend magazine.

You’ll find creative conversations. Bold, beautiful art. A window into the lives and work of the people and artists driving the cultural community in our region. A range of smart, diverse and connected arts and culture writers to help us make sense of the moment. And from Tyee culture editor Dorothy Woodend, a “Three Things” roundup that alerts you to unmissable goings-on in our corner of the world.

And it’s a way to get all the Weekender stories sent straight to your email so you don’t have to remember to check in on The Tyee home page to see them.

“We at The Tyee kept hearing that people can’t subsist on political grist alone and are craving a way to commune about culture in all its forms. They want to meet great authors and artists and sample provocative beauty. So we created our Weekender section and, now, a newsletter with that mission,” says Tyee editor-in-chief David Beers.

“Subscribe for free,” he says, “and you’ll be part of a warm and friendly arts club.”

Present at every session will be Dorothy Woodend, who has written for The Tyee about film, the visual arts and culture for over 20 years and has built a beloved following.

To her surprise, she’s frequently recognized by fans when walking down the street. “It’s always such a funny and incredibly sweet moment to bump into Tyee fans out in the wild,” she says. “But it’s also a reminder of how important it is to tell the stories, highlight the extraordinary creative work and celebrate what brings us together.”

“Dorothy is a gift to all of us in B.C.! On top of being so very thoughtful and rigorous in her approach to analyzing and understanding culture, Dorothy is an immensely talented and engaging writer. I always look forward to reading her,” says Michelle van Beusekom, Knowledge Network’s CEO.

“Simply having culture coverage in today's media landscape is sadly unique. In the pre-digital media world, robust advertising revenue would subsidize the time required to have serious, in-depth, cultural coverage. As profit margins have disappeared, many organizations have made the hard decisions to cut their culture writing staff. Our society is far poorer as a result. The Tyee performs an enormous public service in continuing to invest in quality culture writing.”

We’re proud to invest in our creative community by making intentional space for cultural writing in the Weekender.

As veteran culture critic Max Wyman recently wrote in a Weekender essay, now’s the time to reimagine what the arts and culture sector can really do, and why it matters. The Weekender is part of that effort.

“Cultural writing is crucial in fostering deeper understanding, critical thinking and connection in society, especially in today’s fast-paced and fragmented media environment,” says Jim Smith, the artistic and executive director and co-founder of DanceHouse in Vancouver.

“It serves as a record of how societies understand themselves in a given moment. Analyzing trends, movements and individual works provides future generations with a richer understanding of history and the arts' role within it. In a world where media is often reduced to fleeting impressions, culture writing stands as a vital space for depth, nuance and connection. It helps us consume culture and truly understand and grow through it.”

We can’t wait to spend our Saturday mornings with you in the Weekender and its newsletter. You can sign up for the newsletter now.

Let me know what you think of the first issues. I’m pleased to hear from you and you can drop me a line any time.

Thank you to our readers for making new initiatives like this possible. We’re so grateful to have your support.