Next Monday, San Diego Central Library kicks off its Swiftie Book Club to discover the literary inspirations behind Taylor Swift's songs.
If you still think of libraries as places where you can't make a peep without being shushed, then think again. Libraries today can have maker spaces, gaming, opportunities to learn about 3D printing and book clubs that tap into Taylor Swift's devout fan base.
"My two biggest passions in life are the library and Taylor Swift," explained Craig Wimberly, a library assistant at San Diego Central Library. "So we're going to pick a book each month, the first one will be 'The Great Gatsby.' Taylor Swift likes to weave in literary references into her work — well, she references a lot of things, but a lot of book references. So each month we are going to pick a book that she has referenced in one or more of her songs, and we're going to read that book through the lens of Taylor Swift. So, I'm going at 'The Great Gatsby' and thinking about what about it inspired Taylor Swift. And then when we get to the book club, I'll be playing clips of the songs that she's referenced, and then we'll essentially just talk about each of our experiences with the book and the context and the experience we've gained with that."
Some examples of Taylor Swift lyrics with literary references from "The Great Gatsby":
“This is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things,” reputation:
“It was so nice throwin' big parties
Jump into the pool from the balcony
Everyone swimmin' in a champagne sea
And there are no rules when you show up here
Bass beat rattling the chandelier
Feelin' so Gatsby for that whole year.”
“Don’t Blame Me," reputation:
“Echoes of your name inside my mind
Halo, hiding my obsession
I once was poison ivy, but now I'm your Daisy.”
“happiness,” evermore:
“I hope she'll be a beautiful fool
Who takes my spot next to you.”
“So Long London," The Tortured Poets Department:
“I saw, in my mind, ferry lights through the mist.
I kept calm and carried the weight of the rift,
Pulled him in tighter each time he was driftin' away.”
Since there are a lot of potential books to choose from ("Romeo and Juliet," "Peter Pan," "Jane Eyre," "Furious Love"), Wimberly said participants will get to vote on what future books will be discussed. The club will be both in person and virtual, and of course there will be friendship bracelets to exchange.
Deputy director of customer experience Jennifer Jenkins calls herself a "late-in-life Swiftie" and is excited about the program and how it allows the library to connect with the public.
"One thing that we have a commonality with everyone is that we, too, are immersed in fandom, immersed in pop culture, and so pop culture and fandom is one way that we can connect with our communities and draw them in so that they can learn about all of the great things that we do here and all the resources that we have," Jenkins said.
Wimberly added, "I like to keep top of mind our vision, which is opportunity, discovery and inspiration. So anytime we get to be a place for any of those things, makes me a happy camper. And I think that creating programming like this gives the people the opportunity to connect with each other, gives them more knowledge than they maybe didn't have before. Plus, it's one of the last public places where you get to exist for free. And I want to be part of creating a place for these communities where people can connect with people for free about things they love."
I have to confess that I am not a Swiftie and would likely fail a test to identify her songs. But the excellent documentary "Miss Americana" made me appreciate her as a pop artist, plus I love seeing passionate people like Wimberly pursuing their fandoms with creativity. So check out the Swiftie Book Club or just head to the library to discover what it offers for no cost.
