This is a brilliant comparison! I personally don't like pop/country music so I wouldn't exactly call myself a Swiftie.. BUT I'll always celebrate and defend Taylor's work. She's tapped into such core elements of the female experience and writes about them in a way that resonates with millions of young girls and women worldwide.. she's so successful and so deserving!
Thanks, Lucy. I agree! You don’t have to like the music even to appreciate the hard graft she puts in, and importantly, the positive impact she has on young women. Thanks for reading :)
As Taylor Swift might say, you've brilliantly pointed out the invisible threads that connect great writing across generations and genres, but also those that pull new readers and fans back to earlier writers and universal themes which continue to matter today. Thanks for a thoughtful and serious piece.
As a lover of English literature and a fan of Taylor Swift, I love this!! You're right that music is a great way to inspire people to pick up books. A few years ago, Taylor referencing The Great Gatsby in her song Happiness is what inspired me to read that book, and just the other month, I went out and bought a copy of The Secret Garden after Taylor referenced it in her new song, I Hate it Here. I haven't read Frankenstein yet, but I have to read it in a couple weeks for a Uni class, and this just made me even more excited to read it. I was a little hesitant about it when I first saw it on the reading list, but as soon as I realised it was written by a female author, I was instantly interested. Whether it's the Brontes, Austen, or Alcott, I love reading literature written by women from that period because they were writing in a time where female writers weren't taken seriously, in a similar way Taylor Swift's lyricism and songwriting skills still aren't taken seriously by many. This was a great read! :)
Thank you so much for reading, Lilly and for your thoughtful comments! Exactly- I really believe that we come to discover books and writers (and other art forms generally) from all different sources and music can be a great introduction. I often think that Swift uses these earlier women's words as you say here, because she is also not taken seriously as they were not in their lifetimes.
Such a brilliant essay, Kate. I haven’t read the Green piece yet, but will head back to your link to do so. And yeah, Kate Bush! I’m afraid I don’t know much about Taylor Swift, or most music post-90s, but bravo to her nonetheless!
Thanks, Victoria! Having a daughter who literally grew up on Taylor Swift- from the early country years to now- I have followed along on her journey! Kate Bush is a legend :)
I love this essay! As others have said, you don’t have to like an artist’s music to appreciate what they do - and it’s fascinating to see the literary links you’ve made here. I’ll have to check out Green’s essay now. Thank you for sharing :)
Love this! I need to read this more deeply with a cup of coffee - but just piping in to say: Bravo.
Mary Shelley and Jane Austen were writing in an art form - the novel - that was pop-culture and not yet respected. If we see music, film and Netflix as text - which we should! - Taylor Swift is in this trajectory.
Also: Branding was very much involved, with both Shelleys and especially with their friend Byron, who would be wildly envious and amazed at the achievements in business and branding of art that Taylor Swift has achieved.
Thanks so much! And what a great point- Shelley and Austen were working in a form of pop-culture that is only now appreciated for its complexity and considered “classic”. I love Northanger Abbey for its parody of the novel; Austen at her playful best! And Byron would have surely been a Swiftie…
A fascinating read Kate!! I hadn't seen the article from Green yet, thanks for sharing. Since I wrote about Swift's ties to Plath I've found several highly educated young women on TikTok comparing her work to other writers and visual artists as well (rubym674, arthistoryabby). I'm fascinated watching Swift's legacy unfold as people turn away from merely gossiping about her personal life. I also found Emily Van Duyne here on Substack a Plath scholar who just released a brilliant book, Loving Sylvia Plath: A Reclamation which I just bought and can't put down. 💙
Thanks! And thank you for the recs 😀 Yes, I remember your great Swift/Plath piece. I think Swift shows a much higher level of connection and intellect around earlier women artists than she has been given credit for.
I read Bulgakov because of Sympathy for the Devil so I buy your argument!
Of course it doesn't always work and popular culture as a 'way in' can be more of a cul-de-sac, but going directly to the big guns can also be a dead end, so....
A wonderful balanced piece that really shows the cultural impact and reach of Taylor Swift.
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it :)
This is a brilliant comparison! I personally don't like pop/country music so I wouldn't exactly call myself a Swiftie.. BUT I'll always celebrate and defend Taylor's work. She's tapped into such core elements of the female experience and writes about them in a way that resonates with millions of young girls and women worldwide.. she's so successful and so deserving!
Thanks, Lucy. I agree! You don’t have to like the music even to appreciate the hard graft she puts in, and importantly, the positive impact she has on young women. Thanks for reading :)
As Taylor Swift might say, you've brilliantly pointed out the invisible threads that connect great writing across generations and genres, but also those that pull new readers and fans back to earlier writers and universal themes which continue to matter today. Thanks for a thoughtful and serious piece.
Thank you so much for reading and commenting, Lori! So glad you enjoyed it :)
As a lover of English literature and a fan of Taylor Swift, I love this!! You're right that music is a great way to inspire people to pick up books. A few years ago, Taylor referencing The Great Gatsby in her song Happiness is what inspired me to read that book, and just the other month, I went out and bought a copy of The Secret Garden after Taylor referenced it in her new song, I Hate it Here. I haven't read Frankenstein yet, but I have to read it in a couple weeks for a Uni class, and this just made me even more excited to read it. I was a little hesitant about it when I first saw it on the reading list, but as soon as I realised it was written by a female author, I was instantly interested. Whether it's the Brontes, Austen, or Alcott, I love reading literature written by women from that period because they were writing in a time where female writers weren't taken seriously, in a similar way Taylor Swift's lyricism and songwriting skills still aren't taken seriously by many. This was a great read! :)
Thank you so much for reading, Lilly and for your thoughtful comments! Exactly- I really believe that we come to discover books and writers (and other art forms generally) from all different sources and music can be a great introduction. I often think that Swift uses these earlier women's words as you say here, because she is also not taken seriously as they were not in their lifetimes.
A really useful response to the previously expressed horror. Thank you.
Thank you for reading, June! 😀
Such a brilliant essay, Kate. I haven’t read the Green piece yet, but will head back to your link to do so. And yeah, Kate Bush! I’m afraid I don’t know much about Taylor Swift, or most music post-90s, but bravo to her nonetheless!
Thanks, Victoria! Having a daughter who literally grew up on Taylor Swift- from the early country years to now- I have followed along on her journey! Kate Bush is a legend :)
This is brilliant. Thank you
Thank you for reading, Joanna! 😀
So glad you mentioned Kate Bush.. I was just flexing my fingers to type that very name! Great piece, thank you.
Ha! Kate Bush is a legend! Wuthering Heights was like nothing I had ever heard before. Thanks for reading, Sarah 😀
I love this essay! As others have said, you don’t have to like an artist’s music to appreciate what they do - and it’s fascinating to see the literary links you’ve made here. I’ll have to check out Green’s essay now. Thank you for sharing :)
Thanks so much! I'm really glad you liked it 💕
Love this! I need to read this more deeply with a cup of coffee - but just piping in to say: Bravo.
Mary Shelley and Jane Austen were writing in an art form - the novel - that was pop-culture and not yet respected. If we see music, film and Netflix as text - which we should! - Taylor Swift is in this trajectory.
Also: Branding was very much involved, with both Shelleys and especially with their friend Byron, who would be wildly envious and amazed at the achievements in business and branding of art that Taylor Swift has achieved.
Wonderful discussion! ❣️
Thanks so much! And what a great point- Shelley and Austen were working in a form of pop-culture that is only now appreciated for its complexity and considered “classic”. I love Northanger Abbey for its parody of the novel; Austen at her playful best! And Byron would have surely been a Swiftie…
A fascinating read Kate!! I hadn't seen the article from Green yet, thanks for sharing. Since I wrote about Swift's ties to Plath I've found several highly educated young women on TikTok comparing her work to other writers and visual artists as well (rubym674, arthistoryabby). I'm fascinated watching Swift's legacy unfold as people turn away from merely gossiping about her personal life. I also found Emily Van Duyne here on Substack a Plath scholar who just released a brilliant book, Loving Sylvia Plath: A Reclamation which I just bought and can't put down. 💙
Thanks! And thank you for the recs 😀 Yes, I remember your great Swift/Plath piece. I think Swift shows a much higher level of connection and intellect around earlier women artists than she has been given credit for.
Really interesting essay, Kate.
I read Bulgakov because of Sympathy for the Devil so I buy your argument!
Of course it doesn't always work and popular culture as a 'way in' can be more of a cul-de-sac, but going directly to the big guns can also be a dead end, so....
Ha! Thanks, Laura. I think anything that gets people discovering the work of great women is worth considering! :)