Harvard 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 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, shows what Swift has created, how it works, and why her songs will endure.

This event is presented in partnership with the University of Chicago Division of the Arts & Humanities.

• Chicago Humanities is pleased to partner with Chicago’s Seminary Co-op Bookstores, the country’s first not-for-profit bookstore. 
• Pre-order Taylor's Version: The Poetic and Musical Genius of Taylor Swift through the Chicago Humanities Box Office and save up to 20% while supporting local, independent bookselling. Add books to your cart when adding tickets. Your receipt will contain a book voucher, which you show to the bookseller on-site to pick up your book(s).
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