Dr. Stephanie Burt on the Genius of Taylor Swift: A Harvard Crash Course on the Pop Superstar

Harvard University professor and poetry expert Stephanie Burt joins us to explain the artistry—and the celebrity—of Taylor Swift.

Through heartfelt critical appreciation, Burt analyzes Swift, her body of work, and the community that her art has fostered. Drawing from her popular 2024 Harvard course, “Taylor Swift and Her World,” as well as from her years as a Swiftie, Burt examines Swift’s particular form of genius—not the destructive genius of tortured poets, but the collaborative and joyful genius of an artist who has mastered her craft. Tracing a path through the Eras, Burt’s newest work, Taylor’s Version: The Poetic and Musical Genius of Taylor Swift, shows what Swift has created, how it works, and why her songs will endure.