Kristie Frederick Daugherty
Indiana University of Pennsylvania doctoral candidate Kristie Frederick Daugherty’s “flash” on the night of the 2024 Grammy Awards has resulted in 113 contemporary and nationally acclaimed poets—including six Pulitzer Prize writers—coming together for an anthology of poems based on songs by musician Taylor Swift.
Frederick Daugherty, currently of Evansville, IN, and a professor at the University of Evansville, recently published Invisible Strings: 113 Poets Respond to the Songs of Taylor Swift, an anthology of poems by “the best of the best.”
As a literature scholar and researcher, and as part of her work in IUP’s Literature and Criticism doctoral program, Frederick Daugherty has been studying and writing about how Swift’s lyrics intersect with poetry. In February, she was an invited presenter at the Swiftposium, the first international academic conference about Swift’s lyrics; this hybrid conference was organized by scholars from 78 academic institutions worldwide and hosted by the University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia.
“The night that Taylor Swift announced her new album The Tortured Poets Department at the Grammys, it was like a flash,” Frederick Daugherty said. “As a poet, my brain immediately went to ‘how can the world of poetry reach out and grab this moment?’ So, her announcement, combined with my research, gave me the idea to contact the best contemporary poets in the world, give them a Taylor Swift song, and ask them to respond to the song with a poem that does not use direct lyrics,” she said. “The response was overwhelming, and the poems are just amazing.
Invisible Strings: 113 Poets Respond to the Songs of Taylor Swift can be pre-ordered on Amazon, through Barnes & Noble, and at independent bookstores; it will be available on December 3.
“It’s incredible to have this happen so quickly, and to see the enthusiastic response from publishers and booksellers. Independent bookstores, especially, have really embraced the book,” she said.
“The book is for everyone—for poetry and literature lovers, for Taylor Swift fans who might not be poetry lovers, or for anyone who appreciates the written word and new work of some of the most accomplished poets of our time,” she said. “The poems in the anthology follow what Taylor Swift teaches her fans to do, to search out ‘Easter eggs’—in this case, closely read the poems to puzzle out the corresponding song,” she said.
“Her fans—the Swifties—have learned to be close, analytical readers and listeners because of the many allusions in her lyrics. Swift has literally taught millions of people the art of close reading. My hope is that an anthology like this could develop a new audience of readers of contemporary poets,” she said.
In the world of literature, Invisible Strings has moved at lightning speed—from her original idea in February to the book completed by July 1.
“I shared the idea with Stephanie Burt, a Harvard professor, poet, and literary critic who teaches a class titled ‘Taylor Swift and Her World.’ The next morning, I woke up to an email introducing me to her agent Matt McGowan of Frances Goldin Literary Agency, who immediately said yes to representing the book. It sold at auction to Ballantine, an imprint of Random House, and from then, things went at breakneck speed,” Frederick Daugherty said.
Frederick Daugherty says her IUP experience in the doctoral program was one of the factors behind her idea for Invisible Strings.
“Being in the doctoral program—being in class—keeps me focused on literature, and being with these amazing professors has been the spark that has rejuvenated my own creative writing—it’s had a monumental impact,” she said.
“I’ve been so impressed with the program, with the caliber of the faculty and teaching, what they ask of students in terms of critical thought, and how willing they are to talk to students outside of the classroom. I’m not sure I would have had the idea for Invisible Strings if I hadn’t been in the program,” she said. “It has heightened my sensibilities so much—not just learning more about literature and criticism. It has had a magical effect on my own creative writing,” she said.
Frederick Daugherty chose IUP for her doctoral studies after considering several other programs. She chose IUP upon the strength of its reputation, as well as advice from a friend who had received her PhD from IUP. Michael Williamson, her advisor and director of the PhD in Literature/Criticism program, was her initial contact, and she was impressed with his passion and commitment as both the chair and a professor.
She anticipates completing her PhD studies at IUP in summer 2025. She earned an MFA in poetry from Vermont College of Fine Arts.
Frederick Daugherty has had a number of her poems accepted for publications in journals, but this is her first full-length book. She recently presented an invited lecture at Harvard about her work and Invisible Strings, and she’s writing a novel, currently titled The Bible of Eve.
A portion of her proceeds from the anthology will be donated to a foundation Frederick Daugherty is creating: The 113 Poets Foundation.
“The name is a tribute to the 113 poets in the anthology, and the Foundation will help poets with travel grants, emergency funds and will also be available to small, independent, nonprofit presses,” she said.
“In the age of AI, we need our poets as never before,” Frederick Daugherty said.