"Dear Reader, If it feels like a trap, you're already in one." This week we're kicking off Season 4 by looking at Taylor Swift's lyrics through reader-response theory. The framework, pioneered by Stanley Fish, argues meaning isn't fixed in a text but created in the act of reading—or in our case, listening! Jodi digs into "Forever and Always" (Fearless, 2008), Maansi takes on "Peace" (folklore, 2020), and Jenn closes it out with "Dear Reader" (Midnights, 2022) — a song that's basically begging for this exact analysis. Listen and learn why Swifties are the epitome of an interpretive community.

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Mentioned in this episode:

• Stanley Fish & Reader Response Theory
• The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald
• Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë
• Miss Americana
• Fearless Album Deep Dive (After School paid preview) — Substack version
• "The Odyssey" and Taylor Swift's Songs | AP Taylor Swift E

Episode Highlights:

• [01:12] What is reader-response theory?
• [09:50] "Forever and Always"
• [22:35] "Peace"
• [32:37] "Dear Reader"

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This podcast is neither related to nor endorsed by Taylor Swift, her companies, or record labels. All opinions are our own. Intro music produced by Scott Zadig aka Scotty Z.