Swifties, have you ever imagined being able to study a course inspired by your favorite artist?
It is now possible—not only in your wildest dreams—but also in real life as the Ghent University in Belgium introduces an elective course inspired by American singer and songwriter Taylor Swift.
The course ‘Literature (Taylor’s Version)’ pays homage to Swift’s re-recorded albums, which will be offered as part of the curriculum for a Master’s Degree in Language and Literature.
According to Elly McCausland, an assistant professor at the university who proposed the elective, the idea was born after she saw the parallels between the singer’s lyrics and English literature.
In an interview with The Guardian, she said: “What I want to do is show students that although these texts might seem inaccessible, they can be accessible if we look at them from a slightly different angle.”
“Shakespeare, in some way, is actually addressing a lot of the same questions as Taylor Swift is today, which seems crazy. But he is,” she added.
The Taylor Swift-inspired course is expected to delve into the themes, styles, and techniques of historical literary writers, all from the unique songwriting perspective found in her songs.
McCausland asserted that Swift’s ability to switch between styles to write something personal and make it a collective experience made her the perfect writer to explore.
However, she emphasized that despite her passion for Swift’s work, the course would maintain its academic foundation and be designed to accommodate everyone, regardless of whether they are Swifties or not.
“There will be critics who think it’s sort of frivolous and silly… The primary focus is literature, but also I want us to think critically about Swift. I’m absolutely not gathering all of the Swifties and we’re going to spend three hours every Monday fangirling,” she said.
