Swiftian Studies Sweep Academia, With Harvard Joining the List of Universities Launching Courses on the Pop Sensation

‘The most famous woman in the world right now,’ says an English professor, is ‘reviving interest in the humanities.’

AP/George Walker IV
Taylor Swift performs during 'The Eras Tour' at Nashville. AP/George Walker IV
M.J. KOCH
M.J. KOCH

Taylor Swift and William Shakespeare, born more than four hundred years apart, share little in common besides Ms. Swift’s pop song “Love Story,” inspired by his play, “Romeo and Juliet.” Now, though, both artists will be studied side-by-side in the hallowed halls of some ivory towers.

Next Spring, Harvard’s English Department will debut the course “Taylor Swift and Her World,” taught by an acclaimed professor, poet, and literary critic, Stephanie Burt. The University of Florida will also launch a course next semester focused on the pop artist’s musical storytelling. The University of Texas, Arizona State University, Stanford University, and U.C. Berkeley have recently pioneered similar courses as Swiftian studies take over academia.

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