Taylor Swift has quietly created a cultural monopoly. Reissues of her albums dominate the charts. Her concerts are major events. Now the Hachette-owned Headline Publishing Group has announced Invisible Strings, a Swift-themed poetry anthology. Contributing poets include Ilya Kaminsky, Richard Siken, and Pulitzer winner Diane Seuss. Each featured work correlates to one of 113 songs from Swift’s discography; the reader is asked to “match each poem to the song it is a response to.” It might be jarring to some that the anthology’s editor is referred to in promotional material as a “genuine Swiftie,” or that the book’s release date is in early December – optimal timing for Christmas shoppers. But the Swift sceptics should look past this and focus on its democratic potential.
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