We have officially entered our Showgirl era, and we’re kicking it off with The Fate of Ophelia. Uncle Jerry teaches us all about Ophelia’s role in Hamlet, one of the Ophelia paintings Taylor may have drawn inspiration from, and a couple of feminist critics’ takes on Ophelia. We then get into the song, Angela weaves in a few nuggets of Tay-lore, and they round it out by discussing the feminist issues with the track, watching the music video and listening to the voice memo of the writing of the song. Works Cited:Hamlet – William Shakespeare – Affiliate LinkWhat are Foil Characters?Representing Ophelia: Women, Madness, and the Responsibilities of Feminist Criticism – Elaine ShowalterHearing Ophelia: Gender and Tragic Discourse in "Hamlet" – Sandra K. FischerDesolation Row – Bob DylanThe Story of Ophelia – The TatePre-Raphaelite Women – Jan MarshDante Gabriel Rossetti – Ash RussellThe Essential Pre-Raphaelites – Lucinda Hawksley – Aff LinkThe Language of Flowers – Margaret Pickston – Aff LinkThe Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady – Edith Holden – Aff LinkThe King’s Two Bodies – Ernst Kantorowicz – Aff LinkFollow Us:YouTubeTikTokInstagramAngela’s Instagram
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1:19:25
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1:19:25
The Sensory Imagery of Maroon
We are wiping the incense dust off the shelf and picking ourselves up off the floor with Maroon this week. This Midnights track from 2022 is full of imagery, senses, colors, and so much more. Uncle Jerry also surprises us all with an interpretation from left field, which allows Angela the space to explain a specific sect of swifties.Enjoy!Works Cited:Richard Wright – Black American novelistParallelism in LiteratureRobert Frost – The Road Not TakenRobert Frost – Stopping By Woods on a Snowy EveningLawrence Ferlinghetti – American Beat poetGregory Corso – American Beat poetJack Kerouac – American Beat poetOn The Road – Jack KerouacFollow Us:YouTubeTikTokInstagramAngela’s Instagram
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53:12
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53:12
The Growth and Healing of Clean
We’re coming down from our Showgirl high, and taking it back to 1989 this week. Uncle Jerry takes us through Clean, and breaks down the metaphors and themes found in the poem, including addiction, healing, personal growth, and personal agency.He also asks Angela who this song was inspired by, and admits that he’s now wondering about that in all of these songs. :) There are links below to (most of!) the recommended literature from the episode. Some links are affiliate links, which means if you click and purchase, we will make a small commission at no cost to you.Works Cited:Metaphors We Live By – George Lakoff and Mark JohnsonThe Great War and Modern Memory – Paul FussellNot Waving but Drowning – Stevie SmithAfterwards – Sara TeasdaleAfter Love – Sara TeasdaleFollow Us:YouTubeTikTokInstagramAngela’s Instagram
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47:41
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47:41
BONUS: The Release Party of A Showgirl Recap
The Swiftie and The Scholar took a field trip to the movie theater this weekend to hang out with Taylor and the Swifties! This was Uncle Jerry's first in-person swiftie experience, and he gives us his thoughts, along with his first impressions of a few of the new tracks. Angela gives her first impressions on the album and discusses which songs the podcast will cover first.Follow Us:YouTubeTikTokInstagramAngela’s Instagram
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27:52
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27:52
Answering Your Questions - Volume 1
In this episode, Uncle Jerry and Angela get caught up on the latest Swiftie news, including the engagement and The Release Party of a Showgirl, and then they get into answering your questions from Instagram and TikTok. We cover poetry curriculum, how to get into scholarly pursuits, how Angela convinced Uncle Jerry to do the podcast, and how we select which songs we cover.There are links below to (most of!) the recommended literature from the episode. Some links are affiliate links, which means if you click and purchase, we will make a small commission at no cost to you.Works Cited:i carry your heart with me – e.e. cummingsEpithalamion – Edmund SpenserThe Hornblower Series – C.S. ForesterMr. Midshipman Hornblower (Book 1) – C.S. ForesterAfrican Queen – C.S. ForesterThe Good Shepherd – C.S. Forester2001: A Space Odyssey – Arthur C. ClarkeStranger in a Strange Land Paperback – Robert A. HeinleinThe Little Prince – Antoine de Saint-ExupéryThe Oxford Book of Modern Verse – W.B. YeatsThe Oxford Book of English Verse – Christopher RicksThe Norton Anthology of American Literature – Robert S. LevineE. E. Cummings: Complete Poems, 1904–1962The Collected Poems of Wallace Stevens: The Corrected EditionLeaves of Grass – Walt WhitmanMetaphors We Live By – George Lakoff and Mark JohnsonTwenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair – Pablo NerudaThe Poet and His Book: The Collected Poems of Edna St. Vincent MillayThe Complete Poems of Emily DickinsonThe Complete Poems: Anne SextonThe Penguin Anthology of Twentieth-Century American Poetry Paperback – Rita DoveAmerican Poetry: The Twentieth Century, Volume 1: Henry Adams to Dorothy Parker – Robert HassThe Oxford Book of American Short Stories – Joyce Carol OatesA Cool Million Paperback – Nathanael WestLucky Jim Paperback – Kingsley AmisCold Comfort Farm Paperback – Stella Gibbons Bleak House – Charles DickensThe Old Curiosity Shop – Charles DickensNicholas Nickleby – Charles Dickens Our Mutual Friend – Charles DickensYouTubeTikTokInstagramAngela’s Instagram
A weekly podcast exploring the lyrics, lore, and literary legacy of Taylor Swift. Hosted by Angela McDow, the Swiftie, and Dr. Jerry Coats, the Scholar, we read between the lines AND the liner notes. Join us each week for lyrical deep dive through Taylor Swift's eras.
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