Playworld

Playworld is set in 1980 and 1981 in New York City, and this temporal and historical backdrop informs some of the protagonist Griffin Hurt’s coming-of-age experiences. When the novel begins in 1980, Griffin is 14 years old, and he turns 15 during the narrative. Primarily concerned with navigating the complexities of his athletic, academic, theatrical, and social spheres, Griffin doesn’t always tune into the political events of the era. However, his narrative does make occasional references to key historical events at the time. Such events include the 1980 Carter-Reagan presidential election (and watching their only debate), Reagan’s landslide win and subsequent 1981 inauguration, the attempt on Reagan’s life, the Iran hostage crisis, and John Lennon’s assassination. These events create a tumultuous subtext to Griffin’s otherwise meandering adolescent account.

Despite Griffin’s lack of overt attention to politics, his life in 1980 and 1981 is informed by Jimmy Carter’s presidency. Carter was the 39th US president and served from 1977 to 1981. In an overarching sense, Carter’s presidency was defined by what is historically referred to as a period of “malaise.” Carter himself believed that American citizens were facing a crisis of confidence inspired by the Vietnam War, the Watergate scandal, and the assassinations of John F.