Square BJC Logo

Matching Minds With Sondheim

By near-universal consensus, Stephen Sondheim was the greatest musical theater composer of his generation—celebrated, among other things, for the wit, sophistication, and intricacy of shows from West Side Story to Sunday in the Park with George. A less well-known avenue for his brilliant creativity was his lifelong fascination with designing and constructing intricate puzzles and games: from treasure hunts and crossword puzzles to parlor and board games.

Matching Minds with Sondheim is a journey into this rich but largely unmapped aspect of the composer’s creative life, illuminating how Sondheim’s playful designs delivered moments of clarity and connection for his friends and colleagues. For the first time, this book offers an enthralling tour of what Sondheim described as his “puzzler’s mind,” helping readers to better understand the man, his work, and—if they accept the challenge—themselves.

Gaming expert and theater fan Barry Joseph draws from over eighty years of Sondheim’s activities, collecting his extremely rare and never-publicly-seen puzzles and game designs, scores of original interviews with the celebrity friends who played them, deep dives into Sondheim-related archives from around the country, and analysis from both puzzle designers and theater professionals from around the world.

Matching Mindswill do more than describe Sondheim’s work: It will allow readers to match minds with the maestro by attempting to solve Sondheimian puzzles and bring Sondheimian games into their own homes.

Pre-sale available now.

 

Follow the latest on the book at MatchingMindswithSondheim.com and on Instagram. New web site and podcast series launching in June!

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Speaking dates! Podcast preview! And so much more. Launching today. Please come check it out and let me know what you’d like to see. Link in bio. MatchingMindsWithSondheim.com. #bookwebsite #Sondheim @sondheimletters @sondheimsociety
One year ago today the Collection of Stephen Sondheim went up for auction at Doyle’s in NYC. More than ten hours later, without a pause, it came to a glorious close with an epic conclusion. Revisit the memories or discover it anew in my preview of the upcoming podcast to accompany the Sept release of my book Matching Minds with Sondheim. Come hear from Grace O’Keefe, Michael Mitnick, Pat D’Amico, and, of course, me as well as we revisit that remarkable day. Link in bio. @michaelmitnick @grace_o_keefe @patdamico958 @doylenewyork #Sondheim
One year ago today the Collection of Stephen Sondheim went up for auction at Doyle’s in NYC. More than ten hours later, without a pause, it came to a glorious close with an epic conclusion. Revisit the memories or discover it anew in my preview of the upcoming podcast to accompany the Sept release of my book Matching Minds with Sondheim. Come hear from Grace O’Keefe, Michael Mitnick, Pat D’Amico, and, of course, me as well as we revisit that remarkable day. Link in bio. @michaelmitnick @grace_o_keefe @patdamico958 @doylenewyork #Sondheim
One year ago today the Collection of Stephen Sondheim went up for auction at Doyle’s in NYC. More than ten hours later, without a pause, it came to a glorious close with an epic conclusion. Revisit the memories or discover it anew in my preview of the upcoming podcast to accompany the Sept release of my book Matching Minds with Sondheim. Come hear from Grace O’Keefe, Michael Mitnick, Pat D’Amico, and, of course, me as well as we revisit that remarkable day. Link in bio. @michaelmitnick @grace_o_keefe @patdamico958 @doylenewyork #Sondheim
One year ago today the Collection of Stephen Sondheim went up for auction at Doyle’s in NYC. More than ten hours later, without a pause, it came to a glorious close with an epic conclusion. Revisit the memories or discover it anew in my preview of the upcoming podcast to accompany the Sept release of my book Matching Minds with Sondheim. Come hear from Grace O’Keefe, Michael Mitnick, Pat D’Amico, and, of course, me as well as we revisit that remarkable day. Link in bio. @michaelmitnick @grace_o_keefe @patdamico958 @doylenewyork #Sondheim
One year ago today the Collection of Stephen Sondheim went up for auction at Doyle’s in NYC. More than ten hours later, without a pause, it came to a glorious close with an epic conclusion. Revisit the memories or discover it anew in my preview of the upcoming podcast to accompany the Sept release of my book Matching Minds with Sondheim. Come hear from Grace O’Keefe, Michael Mitnick, Pat D’Amico, and, of course, me as well as we revisit that remarkable day. Link in bio. @michaelmitnick @grace_o_keefe @patdamico958 @doylenewyork #Sondheim
I am giving an up-to-2-minute pitch tomorrow to over 100 potential sites for book talks. This is a draft. I’d love your feedback!
This month I had the honor of formally kicking off my book tour - pre-launch - as guest presenter at the Sondheim Study Group. This is a series of excerpts from the Q&A that followed. #sondheim #stephensondheim

Select blurbs:


Matching Minds with Sondheim is literally a mind-boggling study, providing more than 400 pages of background and insight that sheds new light on an incredible creative mind. Joseph offers solid evidence about how Sondheim’s pursuit of puzzle solutions and elaborate game playing were part and parcel with his mastery of words. If you desire a deeper understanding of this modern genius, this is a book for you.”
—Rick Pender, author of The Stephen Sondheim Encyclopedia


Matching Minds accomplishes a truly remarkable feat: reintroducing us to someone we thought we already knew. It’s not just a biography of Stephen Sondheim but a sourcebook and design guide to his creative work. An absolute must-read for any puzzle or game designer.”
—Eric Zimmerman, Arts Professor, New York University Game Center, and co-author of Rules of Play


Reliving my extraordinary night participating in Stephen’s 1968 Halloween Treasure Hunt was like stepping back into the genius’s boundless imagination. This book is a treasure hunt in its own right, piecing together the magic and mystery that Sondheim conjured in every puzzle, every clue, and every note he composed. A fascinating read that guides you through the wonderland of one of the world’s most brilliant minds.
—Grover Dale, original cast member of West Side Story, Tony- and Emmy-nominated Dancer, Choreographer, and Director


Matching Minds reveals how before Stephen Sondheim was a musical theater god he was the puzzle editor at New York magazine, making ‘order out of chaos’ on a weekly basis. Discover how puzzles weren’t just a hobby for Steve, but a window into his brilliant mind, and his ever-illuminating music.”
—Melissa Errico, Tony-nominated Broadway actress/writer; recording artist of two Sondheim albums; star of Sunday in The Park With George at The Kennedy Center & more


“Riddle me this: Who loves Sondheim? Who wants to have incredible insight into how Sondheim’s love for puzzles shaped his brilliant writing? Who needs to read Matching Minds With Sondheim?
ANSWER: Everyone who loves musical theater!”
—Seth Rudetsky, musician, actor, writer and radio host


“Just as Sondheim treated his audiences as though they were at a level playing field, so too does Barry Joseph with this fascinating series of insights into Sondheim’s genius that even non-gamers will gobble up.”
—Julie Klausner, creator, Difficult People, and Sondheim enthusiast


“If you’re bedazzled by Stephen Sondheim and want to get inside his mind, you need this book. If you’re equally entranced by puzzles and games, you must read this book immediately and repeatedly. Matching Minds is a real accomplishment, and no one but Barry Joseph could have written it. His intelligence and commitment to this complex subject can be found on every page.”
—Daniel Okrent, author of the forthcoming Stephen Sondheim: Art Isn’t Easy


“Barry Joseph’s Matching Minds with Sondheim reveals an untold dimension of the Broadway legend’s life: his passion for puzzles and games. From designing murder mystery party games to crafting immersive and puzzling treasure hunts, Joseph paints a vivid picture of how Sondheim channeled his wit and precision into the art of making play.”
—Michael Mitnick, playwright, songwriter, and Sondheim aficionado


Matching Minds shows how Sondheim was exactly the type of player that makes the escape room community so vibrant.”
—Lisa and David Spira, co-creators of RoomEscapeArtist.com


“Setting and solving puzzles lies at the heart of creativity, whether the output be lyrics, music, or crosswords. In Joseph’s Matching Minds with Sondheim we finally learn how this puzzling spirit pervades the works of a master of all three.”
—Paul Henderson, cryptic crossword setter and APEX custodian


“As someone who spends most of her time trying to discover what makes Sondheim great, the book gave me another lens through which to understand his genius. Now, whenever I approach a show, a song, or a set of lyrics, I ask myself: Is it a puzzle? Is it a game? Is it playful? And that’s been eye-opening and invigorating.”
—Gail Leondar-Wright, independent Sondheim scholar (TalkingSondheim.com)


“A treasure trove of insight into Sondheim’s deep engagement with games, the people with whom he played them, and what they reveal about his ‘puzzler’s mind.'”
—The Sondheim Hub

 

© Copyright 2023 – Barry Joseph

Skip to content