From the Vault

Are Taylor Swift’s lyrics works of literature?

Clio Doyle has spent her career exploring that question. An award-winning academic and creator of the UK’s first university module on Taylor Swift and English Literature, she is also – unashamedly – a lifelong Swiftie. In From the Vault, she makes the passionate case that examining Swift’s lyrics through the lens of high art illuminates the complexity, ingenuity, and sheer pleasure of her songs.

This book is an attempt to get to the beating heart of Swift’s writing: what it means to study her work, and what it means to love it.

Can you separate Swift from her writing?
Does it have a place in the canon alongside The Great Gatsby and The Waste Land?
Why does it mean so much to people?
What if it sometimes makes you feel bad?
And ultimately: is it art?

From the Vault is a joyful, nuanced and sharply intelligent exploration of obsessive fandom, the creative work of songwriting, and the value we give to different kinds of art.