Good morning. It's Saturday, Nov. 1. 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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This week, we're launching our new format, featuring three fascinating topics from the worlds of art, music, literature, film, food, sports, entertainment, and more.
First, we're covering the history and evolution of the Day of the Dead, which starts today. After that, we've got a primer on Major League Baseball to mark the conclusion of another World Series. Finally, we offer a beginner's guide to Taylor Swift, so you can see why the superstar continues dominating the charts.
Let me know what you think! Whether it's feedback on the new style, a comment on this week's topics, suggestions for future coverage, or something else, I'm always happy to hear from readers. You can get in touch by simply replying to this email.
—Kevin Kearney, 1440 Society & Culture Section Editor |
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Finding Light in the Dark |
The story behind Day of the Dead
Día de Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a holiday that honors deceased loved ones through traditions, including memorial altars, specialty foods, cemetery visits, and more. It takes place on Nov. 1 and 2 and is primarily celebrated in Mexico, where 91% of the population participates in Day of the Dead festivities, generating more than $2B in tourism revenue in 2023. Many other Latin American countries and places with large Mexican populations also observe the holiday.
Day of the Dead combines Aztec mythology, Indigenous heritage, and Catholic traditions. It has become more visible globally due to portrayals in popular culture, including a 2015 James Bond film and Disney’s 2017 animated feature “Coco,” which incorporated many of the holiday’s traditions.
Although Day of the Dead takes place close to Halloween, the two holidays have significant differences and cultural histories.
Also, check out ...
> Ofrendas are memorial altars constructed to honor deceased loved ones. (More)
> The holiday has evolved over time, blending celebrants' cultural heritages. (More)
> Day of the Dead poems—or calaveras literarias—roast the living and the dead. (More)
> Guatemala's Day of the Dead tradition fills the sky with colorful kites. (More)
Explore everything else we've found on Day of the Dead. |
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Major League Baseball, 101
Major League Baseball is the highest-level professional baseball organization in America, and the oldest professional sports league in the US, dating back to the Civil War. It generates the second-highest revenue among the Big Four US sports organizations and features the longest season in professional sports.
The league has endured numerous controversies and changes: the freewheeling (and dangerous) 19th-century Deadball Era, Jackie Robinson’s breaking of the color barrier in the mid-20th century, and the performance-enhancing controversies of the 1980s and 1990s. In 2023, MLB implemented rule changes to speed up the game, drawing renewed interest in the sport.
MLB was a regional, segregated league until 1946; today, the league is global, with nearly 28% of the players on the 2025 Opening Day rosters born outside the US. The highest-valued contract for the season belonged to Juan Soto, who was born in the Dominican Republic.
Also, check out ...
> The 1919 Chicago White Sox were banned from baseball for fixing the World Series. (More)
> In 1985, New York Mets star Keith Hernandez testified that 40% of MLB players used cocaine. (More)
> The balls used in Major League games typically last seven pitches. (More)
> "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" was inspired by a billboard. (More)
Explore everything else we've found on Major League Baseball. |
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How Taylor Swift became a global star
Taylor Swift is a singer-songwriter whose success as a recording and touring artist has made her one of the most influential figures in popular culture. She shows no signs of stopping: October's "Life of a Showgirl" was her 15th album to top the Billboard chart. The only act with more is the Beatles, with 19.
Swift's nearly two-decade journey from country upstart to pop superstardom has seen her win more than a dozen Grammy Awards, with each of her 12 studio albums and four re-recordings topping 1 billion streams on Spotify.
Her cultural dominance is due in no small part to her dedicated fans, called "Swifties," who follow her career closely, dissecting her lyrics for coded messages. That's led to a substantial economic impact, evident through her record-breaking Eras Tour, which generated over $2B in ticket sales and over $5B in US consumer spending.
Also, check out ...
> Swift began re-recording her albums after they were sold against her wishes. (More)
> In 2022, she made history as the first artist to occupy the entire Billboard Top 10. (More)
> Watch Swift write a song from her album "Lover." (More)
> Several of her recent songs allude to Elizabeth Siddall, a 19th-century muse. (More)
Explore everything else we've found on Taylor Swift. |
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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 NBA Is Gambling Away Its Soul
The Ringer | Danny Chau. Last week, an NBA head coach, current player, and former coach and player were all arrested by the FBI for illegal gambling. Chau predicts that the charges will change the public perception of the NBA and argues the scandal should surprise no one, considering the country's embrace of sports betting. (Read)
> A Glimpse of Genius
The Guardian | Casey Cep. Harper Lee, author of the beloved novel "To Kill a Mockingbird," was notoriously reclusive after the success of her debut. Now, almost a decade after her death, a collection of her earliest stories will be published, offering a glimpse into a mysterious figure in American literature. (Read)
> From Semi-Pro Snowboarder to Art World Sensation
Artnet | Katie White. Tomokazu Matsuyama didn't know what to do after an injury prematurely ended his career, so he enrolled in New York's Pratt Institute on a whim. A little over two decades later, his eclectic paintings are being shown in galleries across the globe. (Read)
> Traditional Criticism Is in Trouble. Here's What's Replacing It.
The Atlantic | Spencer Kornhaber. As fewer publications employ full-time movie and music reviewers, many say that criticism is effectively dead. Kornhaber explores the YouTubers and Letterboxd accounts that have taken up the mantle, trying to understand where the form is headed. (Read)
> 30 Years Later: Groove Theory, "Groove Theory"
Longreads | Hanif Abdurraqib. In honor of the record's anniversary, Abdurraqib pens an extensive ode to the R&B classic. As the MacArthur genius grant winner is known to do, the essay weaves a compelling story about driving aimlessly down Ohio highways in search of the love he hears in the record's songs. (Read) |
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👻 Episode 3 of our podcast "1440 Explores" is out now. This time, we’re diving into the science behind ghosts: why we see something that isn’t there, and what that reveals about the human mind. Listen on: Apple | Spotify | YouTube |
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Marigolds are placed on altars at Day of the Dead; their strong scent is said to help the dead find their way back to the living. |
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