September 30, 2026
the full syllabus
Episode Archive
All of our episodes. Search or filter by format, album era, and theme.
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September 23, 2026
"False God" Lyric Analysis | Taylor Swift's Sales Pitch for Blind Faith | AP Taylor Swift E141
Read shownotes →September 14, 2026
God in Taylor Swift's Lyrics: A Literary Analysis | AP Taylor Swift 140
Read shownotes →September 9, 2026
"Forever and Always" Song Meaning | AP Taylor Swift Podcast E139
Read shownotes →August 31, 2026
Reader-Response Theory & Taylor Swift's Music | AP Taylor Swift E138
Read shownotes →August 26, 2026
Greek Mythology & Taylor Swift | "My Tears Ricochet," "Long Story Short"
Read shownotes →August 19, 2026
Emily Dickinson and Taylor Swift |"Karma," "evermore" & Why They're Literary Twins
Read shownotes →August 12, 2026
“Blank Space” Line-by-Line Analysis | AP Taylor Swift Podcast
Read shownotes →August 5, 2026
"Don’t Leave Me Like This": Taylor Swift Meets Pride and Prejudice | I’m Only Me When I’m With You, Haunted, and Lavender Haze | AP Taylor Swift
Read shownotes →July 29, 2026
The Poetic Genius and Song Meaning Behind Taylor Swift's TimMcGraw
Read shownotes →July 22, 2026
Looking at Taylor Swift’s Music Through a Feminist Lens | AP Taylor Swift
Read shownotes →July 15, 2026
“Cruel Summer” Meaning & Lyrics Explained | AP Taylor Swift
Read shownotes →July 8, 2026
Why Summer Hits Different in Taylor Swift Lyrics | AP Taylor Swift
Read shownotes →July 3, 2026
Celebrating Taylor Swift’s Wedding Day, from Love Story to Paper Rings to Wi$h Li$t: How Taylor Swift Writes About Weddings, Marriage | AP Taylor Swift Bonus Episode
Read shownotes →July 1, 2026
“Willow” Song Analysis: Witchcraft, Mythology, and Power Dynamics | AP Taylor Swift E137
Read shownotes →June 24, 2026
"I Don’t Wanna Live Forever": How Taylor Swift’s Songs Tell the Story of the Odyssey
Read shownotes →June 17, 2026
“Cold As You” Song Meaning: Taylor Swift's Debut Deep Cut | AP Taylor Swift
Read shownotes →June 15, 2026
Why Mr. Perfectly Fine Spent 13 Years in the Vault (Preview) | AP Taylor Swift After School
Read shownotes →June 10, 2026
"You Drew Stars Around My Scars" - Taylor Swift's Scars as Symbols in Cold As You, Cardigan & CANCELLED!
Read shownotes →June 3, 2026
Taylor Swift's "Anti-Hero" Meaning & Lyrics Explained: Hamlet, Beauty and the Beast & More | AP Taylor Swift
Read shownotes →May 27, 2026
"I’ll Stare Directly at the Sun, But Never in the Mirror": Taylor Swift's Mirror Moments from Debut to Midnights | Tied Together With a Smile, Begin Again, and Anti-Hero
Read shownotes →May 20, 2026
Taylor Swift's "Our Song" | Meaning & Lyrical Analysis | "Taylor Swift" Debut (2006)
Read shownotes →May 18, 2026
Taylor Swift's Fearless Album | Song-by-Song Lyrical Analysis | After School Paid Preview
Read shownotes →May 13, 2026
Alliteration in Taylor Swift's Music | "Our Song," "Call It What You Want" & More
AlliterationPoetic Devices
Read shownotes →May 6, 2026
Taylor Swift's "Elizabeth Taylor" Meaning & Lyrics Explained | The Life of a Showgirl (2025)
Read shownotes →April 29, 2026
Luxury & Status in Taylor Swift's Music | "Bejeweled," "Elizabeth Taylor" & More | Literary Analysis
LuxuryStatusClose Reading
Read shownotes →April 27, 2026
Taylor Swift's Debut Album | Track-by-Track Lyrical Analysis, Part 2 | After School Paid Preview
Read shownotes →April 22, 2026
Taylor Swift's "Opalite" Meaning & Lyrics Explained | The Life of a Showgirl (2025)
Read shownotes →April 15, 2026
Transcendentalism in Taylor Swift's Music |"The Lakes," "Opalite" & More | Literary Analysis
Transcendentalism
Read shownotes →April 8, 2026
Taylor Swift's "Fifteen" Meaning & Lyrical Analysis | Fearless (2008)
Read shownotes →April 1, 2026
How Taylor Swift Uses Time |"Fifteen," "Timeless" & "All Too Well" | Literary Analysis
TimeTemporality
Read shownotes →March 25, 2026
Taylor Swift's "I Can Do It With a Broken Heart" | Meaning & Lyrical Analysis | TTPD (2024)
Close ReadingResilience
Read shownotes →March 18, 2026
E122: Strong Women in Taylor Swift's Music | “marjorie,” “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart,” and “Eldest Daughter”
Feminist TheoryStrong Women
Read shownotes →March 11, 2026
E121: "Down Bad Crying at the Gym" - A Line-By-Line Analysis of Taylor Swift's Down Bad
Close ReadingHeartbreak
Read shownotes →March 9, 2026
After School Paid Preview: She Knew Exactly What She Was Doing - Taylor Swift's Debut Album Deep Dive (Part 1)
Read shownotes →March 4, 2026
E120: "I'm Immortal Now, Baby Dolls": How Taylor Swift Tells the Hero's Journey Across Every Era in the last great american dynasty, Down Bad, and The Life of a Showgirl
Hero's JourneyMythology
Read shownotes →February 25, 2026
E119: "Your faithless love's the only hoax I believe in" | Taylor Swift's "hoax" line-by-line analysis
Close ReadingWuthering Heights
Read shownotes →February 18, 2026
E118: Wuthering Heights & Taylor Swift: Love, Revenge, and Gothic Romance
Wuthering HeightsGothic LiteratureGothic Romance
Read shownotes →February 11, 2026
E117: Flashback When You Met Me - Taylor Swift's Dress Deep Dive
Close ReadingDesire
Read shownotes →February 7, 2026
The Meaning Behind Taylor Swift's "Opalite" Lyrics: After School Paid Preview
Read shownotes →February 4, 2026
E116: Taylor Swift Songs That Are Basically Bridgerton Episodes | AP Taylor Swift Podcast
BridgertonRomanceHistorical Fiction
Read shownotes →January 28, 2026
E115: "When the Lights Go Out It's Hard to Breathe" - Taylor Swift's Forever Winter Deep Dive
Mental HealthClose Reading
Read shownotes →January 21, 2026
E114: Taylor Swift Winter Songs: "Back to December," "The Moment I Knew" & "Forever Winter"
Winter SongsSeasonal Imagery
Read shownotes →January 14, 2026
E113: Keep It 100 On the Land, The Sea, The Sky | "The Fate of Ophelia" Analysis
Close ReadingFate
Read shownotes →January 7, 2026
Hamlet: Sad, Beautiful, Tragic (Shakespeare’s Version) (After School Paid Preview)
Read shownotes →January 7, 2026
E112: Taylor Swift & Hamlet: Breaking Down "Hamlet" themes in Anti-Hero, I Knew You Were Trouble & The Fate of Ophelia
ShakespeareHamlet
Read shownotes →December 31, 2025
Revisiting Taylor Swift Parallels: Connecting the Dots Between Unexpected Song Pairings
Read shownotes →December 24, 2025
Happy Holidays from AP Taylor Swift - Holiday Songs Reprise
Read shownotes →December 17, 2025
The End of an Era - Initial Reactions to Eps 1 and 2 of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour
Read shownotes →December 10, 2025
Revisiting TTPD and The Eras Tour
Read shownotes →December 3, 2025
E111: “So High School” by Taylor Swift line-by-line analysis
High SchoolComing of AgeClose Reading
Read shownotes →November 26, 2025
E110: Taylor Swift's High School Songs - A High School Musical Comparison
High School MusicalMusical Theater
Read shownotes →November 26, 2025
We're All in This Together: Why High School Musical Became a Cultural Phenomenon (After School Paid Preview)
Read shownotes →November 19, 2025
E109: "seven" Line-by-Line Analysis | Taylor Swift's folklore hit
ChildhoodNostalgiaClose Reading
Read shownotes →November 12, 2025
E108: "That's a Real Legacy to Leave": Taylor Swift and the Art of Intentional Ambiguity in seven, Maroon, and loml
Intentional AmbiguityClose Reading
Read shownotes →November 4, 2025
E107: State of Grace Deep Dive: Taylor Swift's Transition from Fantasy to Reality on Red
Greek MythologyClose Reading
Read shownotes →November 3, 2025
One Month with Taylor Swift's “The Life of a Showgirl”: Our Honest Reactions (After School Paid Preview)
Read shownotes →October 29, 2025
Celebrating Our Favorite Childless Cat Lady: Dissecting Cats the Movie and Taylor Swift’s Role in It (After School Paid Preview)
Read shownotes →October 29, 2025
E106: Stumble On Home to My Cats: Taylor Swift’s Cat Songs - State of Grace, Gorgeous, and Beautiful Ghosts
Animal StudiesCats
Read shownotes →October 22, 2025
E105: I guess I'll never, ever know… “Now That We Don’t Talk” Deep Dive
Moving OnClose Reading
Read shownotes →October 15, 2025
E104: Just a Girl on a Mission: Connecting Wicked to Taylor Swift’s “A Place In This World,” “Treacherous,” and “Now That We Don’t Talk”
WickedMusical TheaterQuest Narrative
Read shownotes →October 8, 2025
E103: Invisible String Deep Dive - How Taylor Swift Turned Fate into Folklore
Close Reading
Read shownotes →October 3, 2025
"The Life of a Showgirl" Album Release Reactions
Read shownotes →October 1, 2025
E102: Taylor Swift Parallels: Connecting the Dots Between Unexpected Song Pairings
Song ParallelsIntertextuality
Read shownotes →September 24, 2025
E101: Magic, Madness, Heaven, Sin: A Line-by-Line Analysis of Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space”
Close ReadingAnti-Hero
Read shownotes →September 17, 2025
E100: Taylor Swift Songs That Transcend Time - Blank Space, New Romantics, The Man
TimelessnessClose Reading
Read shownotes →September 17, 2025
Medieval Reality TV aka "The Canterbury Tales" for Taylor Swift Fans (After School Paid Preview)
Read shownotes →September 10, 2025
E99: “But Daddy I Love Him”: Sarahs, Hannahs, Taylor's Tale of Rebellious Love
NamesIdentityClose Reading
Read shownotes →September 3, 2025
E98: Taylor Swift's Unreliable Narrators: When You Can't Trust the Story - You Belong With Me, Mr. Perfectly Fine, But Daddy I Love Him
Unreliable NarratorNarratology
Read shownotes →August 27, 2025
Is It Over Now? Exploring Taylor Swift’s Use of Rhetorical Questions - Question, Ready For it, Is It Over Now
Read shownotes →August 20, 2025
Tim McGraw: Deep Diving the Single That Launched Taylor Swift
Read shownotes →August 14, 2025
TS12 'The Life of a Showgirl' Album Breakdown: Taylor Swift Podcast Appearance, Album Track Analysis & Literary Connections
Read shownotes →August 13, 2025
E97: Cruel Summer: Line-by-line through Taylor Swift’s summer anthem
Summer SongsClose Reading
Read shownotes →August 6, 2025
E96: Cruel Summer, August, hits different: Taylor Swift Summer Songs Breakdown
Summer SongsSeasonal Imagery
Read shownotes →July 30, 2025
Happee Birthdae Harry: Swiftie Potterheads Unite
Read shownotes →July 23, 2025
Mastermind in the Museum: Taylor Swift & Women Who Paint
Read shownotes →July 16, 2025
E95: Is "Don't Blame Me" Taylor's Most Unhinged Love Song? (Deep Dive)
ReligionObsessive LoveClose Reading
Read shownotes →July 9, 2025
E94: Frankenstein - When Taylor Swift Meets Gothic Literature and Scientific Ambition
Gothic LiteratureFrankenstein
Read shownotes →July 2, 2025
All Too Well (10 Minute Version) - Three Literary Lenses on Taylor's Epic Masterpiece
Read shownotes →June 25, 2025
E93: I Forgot That You Existed
Moving OnClose Reading
Read shownotes →June 18, 2025
E92: Revenge Narratives in Taylor Swift's Songwriting
Revenge Narratives
Read shownotes →June 11, 2025
“I Can Go Anywhere I Want, Just Not Home” — Taylor Swift & the Pain of “my tears ricochet”
Read shownotes →June 4, 2025
Greek Mythology and Taylor Swift: Exploring connections between Greek Mythology and Taylor's Lyrics
Read shownotes →May 31, 2025
Bonus: And Then It Was Bought By Her: Taylor Swift Owns Her Masters
Read shownotes →May 28, 2025
E91: Everything You Lose Is a Step You Take: A Deep Dive into “You’re On Your Own, Kid”
Close ReadingThe Tortured Poets Department
Read shownotes →May 21, 2025
E90: The Art of Taylor Swift’s Storytelling: Narratology Explained
NarratologyStorytelling
Read shownotes →May 14, 2025
E89: Deep Dive - Florida!!! From “The Tortured Poets Department”
Florida!!!Close ReadingPlace
Read shownotes →May 7, 2025
E88: Dance in a storm: From 'Fearless' Rain to ‘Florida!!!’ Hurricanes, Weather as a Literary Device in Taylor Swift’s music
Weather SymbolismNatureSymbolism
Read shownotes →April 30, 2025
E87: Deep Dive - “Say Don’t Go”
Close ReadingLonging
Read shownotes →April 23, 2025
E86: Under the Big Top — Taylor Swift and the Circus Metaphor
Circus MetaphorExtended Metaphor
Read shownotes →April 16, 2025
E85: Karma Is My Boyfriend? Unpacking Taylor Swift's Song "Karma"
Close ReadingAcceptance
Read shownotes →April 9, 2025
E84: Is Emily Dickinson Taylor Swift’s Literary Twin? Comparing Emily Dickinson with Karma, Evermore & More
Emily DickinsonAmerican LiteraturePoetry
Read shownotes →April 2, 2025
E83: Taylor Swift Is Funnier Than You Think | "Thug Story," SNL, and Her Best Joke Songs
HumorSatire
Read shownotes →March 26, 2025
E82: Deep Dive - Guilty as Sin?
Close ReadingDesire
Read shownotes →March 19, 2025
E81: Show and Tell - Paintings by Female Artists
Visual ArtFeminist Theory
Read shownotes →March 12, 2025
E80: Deep Dive - Mirrorball
Close ReadingIdentity
Read shownotes →March 5, 2025
E79: Show and Tell - Feminist Theory
Feminist Theory
Read shownotes →February 26, 2025
E78: Deep Dive - Tim McGraw
AmericanaCountry Music
Read shownotes →February 19, 2025
E77: Show and Tell - Historical Criticism
Historical Criticism
Read shownotes →February 12, 2025
E76: Deep Dive - “You Are In Love”
RomanceClose Reading
Read shownotes →February 5, 2025
E75: Show and Tell - Romantic Love
Romantic LoveRomance
Read shownotes →January 29, 2025
E74: Deep Dive - Maroon
Color SymbolismClose Reading
Read shownotes →January 22, 2025
E73: "Maroon", "Red," "Daylight" - Show and Tell - Color
Color SymbolismSymbolism
Read shownotes →January 15, 2025
E72: Deep Dive - cardigan
Close ReadingFairytale
Read shownotes →January 8, 2025
E71: Show and Tell - Peter Pan
Peter PanChildren's Literature
Read shownotes →January 1, 2025
Holidays Show and Tell - New Year's Day Re-Release
Read shownotes →December 25, 2024
E70: Show and Tell - Harry Potter Holiday Special
Harry PotterFantasy
Read shownotes →December 18, 2024
E69: Deep Dive - my tears ricochet
GriefClose Reading
Read shownotes →December 13, 2024
E68: Bonus Episode - Taylor Swift by the Book with Tiffany Tatreau and Rachel Feder
BooksLiterature
Read shownotes →December 11, 2024
E67: Show and Tell - Greek Mythology
Greek Mythology
Read shownotes →December 4, 2024
E66: Deep Dive - Holy Ground
Close ReadingSpirituality
Read shownotes →November 27, 2024
E65: Show and Tell - Romance Novels featuring Lauren Rowe
Romance NovelsRomance
Read shownotes →November 20, 2024
E64: Deep Dive - Cowboy like me
FolkloreAmericana
Read shownotes →November 13, 2024
E63: Show and Tell - Garden Songs
NatureGarden Imagery
Read shownotes →November 8, 2024
E62: Bookish Chat With Laura Bankers of Little Owlet Art
BooksReading Culture
Read shownotes →November 6, 2024
E61: Deep Dive - Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me
Gothic LiteraturePowerClose Reading
Read shownotes →October 30, 2024
E60: Show and Tell - Witches
WitchesGothic Literature
Read shownotes →October 23, 2024
E59: Deep Dive - Vigilante Shit
FeminismPower
Read shownotes →October 16, 2024
E58: Show and Tell - Style featuring Sarah Chapelle of Taylor Swift Style
FashionStyle
Read shownotes →October 9, 2024
E57: Deep Dive - ...Question?
Rhetorical QuestionsClose Reading
Read shownotes →October 4, 2024
E56: DJ Louie XIV of Pop Pantheon Talks Taylor Swift and Pop Stars
Pop Music HistoryMusic Theory
Read shownotes →October 2, 2024
E55: Show and Tell - Rhetorical Questions
Rhetorical QuestionsRhetoric
Read shownotes →September 25, 2024
E54: One-Year Anniversary of AP Taylor Swift
Read shownotes →September 18, 2024
E53: Deep Dive - The Way I Loved You
RomanceClose Reading
Read shownotes →September 11, 2024
E52: "Anti-Hero" "Look What You Made Me Do" "That's The Way I Loved You" - Show and Tell - Psychoanalytic Theory
Psychoanalytic Theory
Read shownotes →September 4, 2024
E51: All Too Well (10 Min Version) - 3 Ways
All Too WellClose ReadingMultiple Interpretations
Read shownotes →August 28, 2024
E50: Cities + “The Tortured Poets Department”
Cities
Read shownotes →August 21, 2024
E49: Poetic Repetition + "The Tortured Poets Department"
Close Reading
Read shownotes →August 14, 2024
E48: Mad Women + “The Tortured Poets Department”
Close Reading
Read shownotes →August 7, 2024
E47: Pride and Prejudice + "The Tortured Poets Department"
Close Reading
Read shownotes →July 31, 2024
E46: Musicals + "The Tortured Poets Department"
Close Reading
Read shownotes →July 24, 2024
E45: Satire + The Tortured Poets Department
Satire
Read shownotes →July 17, 2024
E44: Metaphors + “The Tortured Poets Department”
MetaphorClose Reading
Read shownotes →July 10, 2024
E43: Marxist Theory + “The Tortured Poets Department”
Close Reading
Read shownotes →July 3, 2024
"The Last Great American Dynasty" Deep Dive - 4th of July Re-Release
Read shownotes →June 26, 2024
E42: Ecocriticism and "The Tortured Poets Department"
Close Reading
Read shownotes →June 19, 2024
E41: Toxic Relationships + “The Tortured Poets Department”
Close Reading
Read shownotes →June 12, 2024
E40: Deep Dive - Paris
RomanceClose Reading
Read shownotes →June 5, 2024
E39: Show and Tell - Cities
CitiesUrban Settings
Read shownotes →May 29, 2024
E38: Deep Dive - The Archer
IdentitySelf-Analysis
Read shownotes →May 22, 2024
E37: Show and Tell - Surrealism
Surrealism
Read shownotes →May 15, 2024
E36: Deep Dive - King of My Heart
RomanceClose Reading
Read shownotes →May 13, 2024
Bonus: "The Tortured Poets Department" at The Eras Tour Reaction
Read shownotes →May 8, 2024
E35: Show and Tell - Royalty
RoyaltyHistorical Criticism
Read shownotes →May 1, 2024
E34: Deep Dive - I Know Places
Predator/PreyAnimal Imagery
Read shownotes →April 24, 2024
E33: Show and Tell - Animal Studies
Animal Studies
Read shownotes →April 21, 2024
Bonus: "The Tortured Poets Department" Album Release Recap
Read shownotes →April 17, 2024
E32: Deep Dive - Love Story
RomanceClose Reading
Read shownotes →April 10, 2024
E31: Show and Tell - Shakespeare
Shakespeare
Read shownotes →April 3, 2024
E30: Deep Dive - gold rush
NatureRomanticism
Read shownotes →March 27, 2024
E29: Show and Tell - Aestheticism
Aestheticism
Read shownotes →March 20, 2024
E28: Deep Dive - Shake It Off
HumorPop Culture
Read shownotes →March 13, 2024
E27: Show and Tell - Poetic Repetition
Poetic RepetitionPoetic Devices
Read shownotes →March 6, 2024
E26: Deep Dive - Haunted
Gothic LiteratureSupernatural
Read shownotes →February 28, 2024
E25: Show and Tell - "Pride and Prejudice"
Pride and PrejudiceRomance
Read shownotes →February 21, 2024
E24: Deep Dive - right where you left me
GriefClose Reading
Read shownotes →February 14, 2024
E23: Show and Tell - Mad Women
Mad WomenFeminist Theory
Read shownotes →February 7, 2024
E22: Deep Dive - The Outside
Gothic LiteratureClose Reading
Read shownotes →February 6, 2024
Bonus - Taylor Swift's "The Tortured Poets Department" Announcement Analysis
Read shownotes →January 31, 2024
E21: Show and Tell - Musicals
MusicalsTheater
Read shownotes →January 24, 2024
E20: Deep Dive - Mastermind
MastermindAgency
Read shownotes →January 17, 2024
E19: Show and Tell - Satire
Satire
Read shownotes →January 10, 2024
E18: Deep Dive - Death By a Thousand Cuts
The Great GatsbyClose Reading
Read shownotes →January 3, 2024
E17: Show and Tell - The Great Gatsby
The Great GatsbyAmerican Literature
Read shownotes →December 27, 2023
Re-Release: Deep Dive - Enchanted
Read shownotes →December 20, 2023
E16: Deep Dive - tis the damn season
Seasonal ImageryClose Reading
Read shownotes →December 13, 2023
E15: Show and Tell - Holidays - New Years Day, tis the damn season, champagne problems
Holiday SongsSeasonal Imagery
Read shownotes →December 6, 2023
E14: Deep Dive - Getaway Car
Getaway CarRomanticism
Read shownotes →November 29, 2023
E13: Show and Tell - Metaphors
Metaphor
Read shownotes →November 22, 2023
E12: Deep Dive - the last great american dynasty
American LiteratureHistory
Read shownotes →November 15, 2023
E11: Show and Tell - Marxist Theory
Marxist Theory
Read shownotes →November 8, 2023
E10: Deep Dive - Red
WordplayPoetic Devices
Read shownotes →November 1, 2023
E9: Show and Tell - Fall Songs
Seasonal ImageryNature
Read shownotes →October 25, 2023
E8: Deep Dive - the lakes
EcocriticismNature PoetryRomanticism
Read shownotes →October 18, 2023
E7: Show and Tell - Ecocriticism
Ecocriticism
Read shownotes →October 13, 2023
Special Episode: Our Eras Tour Reactions
Read shownotes →October 11, 2023
E6: Deep Dive - “It’s Time to Go”
Close ReadingDecision-Making
Read shownotes →October 4, 2023
E5: Show and Tell - Toxic Relationships
Toxic RelationshipsFeminist Theory
Read shownotes →September 27, 2023
E4: Deep Dive - “Wonderland” from 1989
Alice in WonderlandClose Reading
Read shownotes →September 19, 2023
E1: Enchanted to meet you: Songs that made us Swifties
Introduction / Swifties
Read shownotes →September 19, 2023
E3: We got lost in it: Songs inspired by “Alice in Wonderland”
Alice in WonderlandChildren's Literature
Read shownotes →September 19, 2023
E2: Turning ordinary into extraordinary: A Deep Dive on “Enchanted”
Close ReadingEnchanted
Read shownotes →