Fascinating exploration of an icon’s lyrics through a lens of poetry. As someone that struggles to care for Swift’s music this helped me find greater respect for the lyricism of her songs.

I was not sure how I was going to feel about this book. A series of poets responding to Taylor Swift songs? The premise seemed promising but I was anxious about the execution. Overall it was exactly what it said it was and I was prompted to think a bit deeper about some of my favorite songs!

Ballantine eARC
Calling all Swifties! Need a last minute Christmas gift for yourself or someone else and like poetry? This would be perfect. I'm not a Swiftie, but I do casually listen to her sometimes. I am a poetry lover, and I'm glad I gave this a try. This was such a fun collection, and I'm sure I missed a lot of Easter eggs, but even the introduction made me think about Taylor Swift in ways I haven't before. It was a beautiful collection and there are a few lines that will stick with me long term.

This book was a sort of hommage to Taylor Swift and her writing.
113 poets wrote poems to answer some of her many many songs.
I really loved the concept, the foreword and the introduction, they made me quite emotional.
However, I fear I'm really not a poetry person. English is not my first language and it's very hard for me to read sometimes. So I really had trouble getting through this book. It took me weeks and that rarely happens to me. I feel like this was a good book, I just wasn't the right audience for it and I shouldn't have read it as an ARC but more as something that I would have got back to from time to time. I really do love the idea behind this project and I'm so glad it exists.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read an E-ARC of " Invisible Strings
by Kristie Frederick Daugherty, available now!

I think if you're big into poetry or someone who really is into Taylor Swift and likes to explore deeply her lyrics, you will really enjoy this. I enjoy Taylor's music but I am sure there are a lot of connections and "Easter eggs" the authors of these poems put in that I missed. It was nice to read a collection of poetry relating to her music which strays from what I generally read.

Definitely recommend for poem fans or lover of Taylor Swift!

I think the idea of writing poetry inspired by Taylor Swift’s discography is really clever. The book’s editor in the foreward wrote how enthusiastic she has been towards Swift’s more recent foray into more literary/poetic lyricism. And there were many poems that were clearly odes to certain themes common throughout the different Eras, and it was interesting for me as a reader trying guess which song or album inspired each particular poet. The collection was edited in an interesting way that the themes flowed together seemlessly from one to the next that I barely noticed a transition.

So I would say that overall, the collection was well thought out and excellently edited.

But this wasn’t for me. I’m hit or miss when it comes to poetry because there aren’t any actual rules to the genre. While the content of each work flowed nicely, I felt like I was getting whiplash from each poet’s change in style. There were only a handful of poems I loved, but for the most part, I didn’t enjoy this because I couldn’t get used to the writing; I mean, there’s 113 different poets to acclaimate to!

But that’s on me. I think I should stick to poetry collections written by a single writer instead.

The Swiftie in me wanted to love this, and I truly love the concept. Some of the poems were beautifully written on their own. A couple transported me directly to the song I imagined the poem was written in response to. A lot of them just didn’t resonate with me, and I had not a clue what song could possibly correlate. I do wish there was an appendix at the end where you could “check” which song each poem was a response to. I didn’t have the capacity to read over and ponder many of them.

“In this regard, Taylor Swift is more Dylan than McCartney. She has been writing poetry since she was a teenager. Her inspiration nearly always comes from a verbal idea. She writes out the words then creates the music, often with assistance from a collaborator. The poem, it may be said, precedes the song.”
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“Swifties also recognize the literary devices of poetry weaving through Swift’s rich discography. Swift has taught her fans to read her lyrics carefully, attending to syntax, symbol, and sound, just as poets and writers learn to read literature. Swifties spend countless hours discussing Swift’s songs with one another, on social media, and even in the increasingly common Taylor Swift classes—Stephanie Burt’s Harvard course “Taylor Swift and Her World” is just one example. Swifties have a love language, and I am fluent.”
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This is a very eclectic book of poetry, there were so many different poets asked to participate and each has very distinct and different writing styles. You don’t need to be a Swiftie to appreciate these either. I love her music for the lyrical content, her words resonate with me. But each were inspired by different songs or albums and if you aren’t familiar with her discography you can still appreciate their words.

This was a very interesting read.
A anthology of contemporary poems inspired by Taylor Swift lyrics and the magic encryption that is a language to the Swifties. If you’re not a Swifties, this anthology is just nice. If you’re more versed in the Swifties language, you’ll appreciate this one more.

I don't typically read books like this, but it was about Taylor Swift and how she essentially writes poetry, except from the POV of various other authors who also are poets. It was a unique read, with perspectives from all over the place - supportive, inquisitive, and unique. I loved how each perspective was surrounding one of Taylor Swift's songs, giving each poem its own perspective of how the song specifically impacted their own thinking. I also really enjoyed a majority of the poems, but there were a few that really just didn't relate to the song as I think they hoped it would. Overall, it was a really cool idea and compilation of poetry in one story, a great gift idea for the swiftie in your life. Thanks for the opportunity to read!

As the Eras Tour comes to an end, this is such an invaluable gift for those of us who are not quite ready to let this magical time come to an end. These beautiful poems capture the poetic nature of Swift's songwriting perfectly, particularly in the last few years of her career.

Each poem draws upon inspiration from a specific Taylor Swift song, and not only does that play marvelously to every Swiftie's desire to decode and decipher, my extensive knowledge of her songs and lyrics have finally found its intended use. This book encouraged me to read each poem slowly and more than once, delving deeper into its possible meanings and themes and extricating words and phrases that remind me of a particular song. Poetry has always intimidated me because of its requirement of the reader to slow down and glean significance from its sparse composition, and this provided the perfect entry point and incentive for me to practice honing those skills.

Unsurprisingly, there were quite a few poems that seemed to go right over my head. Poetry is designed for rereading and in-depth analysis, with hidden meanings that are not always revealed immediately. I'm sure I will be revisiting these poems at a later time. I also can't wait to discuss these poems with other Swifties to see what details they picked up on and what their theories are about the song each poem is pointing to.

As a Swiftie, I knew I’d love this book of poems and it did not disappoint! This is a definite must for any Taylor Swift fan!

I was worried this was going to be a cash grab but from the foreward and the curator's note you know this is with real appreciation to Taylor's songwriting. Especially Kristie- certified swiftie don't worry. Never in my LIFE have I wanted a foreward to be longer but I could have learned even more on the analysis of her music and inspirations (not talking about her real life but other art/classics).

Thank you to Random House Ballantine for the eARC.

A great book of poetry inspired by Taylor Swift songs. This would be a wonderful gift for a Swiftie who likes decoding meanings, because the poems don't specifically state which song they're related to. Even if you don't want to sleuth things out, it's a nice collection of poems.

Hmmm. The concept is interesting and I came into this really wanting to like it but most of this was a miss for me. Some of the poems were fun and well written, and the discussions at the beginning and end of the book were helpful in adding context, but ultimately in a collection that's 100% referencing someone else's creative work, some of the connective tissue needed to fully enjoy the final product was missing.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book. All opinions are my own.

Whether you like Taylor Swift or not, you know who she is. You can’t be unaware of her. She is everywhere. Her music rings out about her breakups and her sadness and her innate power as a woman, and she draws people to her. Because while not all of us can put words and music together the way she can, we can all feel those words. We understand what she’s singing about, because we’ve all had out hearts break. We’ve all had to grieve a loss. We all long to connect with our power. And we all reach for the words to express ourselves in those moments.

When Kristie Frederick Daugherty, poet and professor, fan of Taylor Swift, saw the crowd’s reaction to the Eras tour, she was inspired. She could see that the thousands of people in the audience all sang and danced and came together as Swift sang her heart out about the chapters of her life, she got an idea. What if she could bring poets together in the same way, all inspired by Taylor Swift songs, translating them into their own art, for all to read? That is how Invisible Strings was started.

Daugherty brought together 113 poets, Pulitzer Prize winners, award winners, bestsellers, and the U.S. Poet Laureate, and asked them to share their inspired poems. Each poet worked from a different Swift song to interpret, weaving clues to its origin just like Swift herself is known for slipping Easter eggs into her works. The poets talk of being loved and being broken, about the magical beauty of the heavens and the daily grace of everyday rituals, just like Swift. And like Swift’s songs, they tear the audience apart and glue it back together with hope, love, and connection.

I will admit that I don’t read a lot of poetry these days. I was an English major way back when I was in college, and I was asked over and over to interpret poems just the way the professor wanted, no matter what I really thought about the work. I still let that color my reading. But I’m certainly not against throwing on some Taylor Swift and, say, shaking it off. Invisible Strings was not on my radar, but a publicist reached out and offered me a copy, and I was intrigued. And after reading just a quarter of it, I was reminded of the power of poetry. I was moved. I was stunned by the beauty of the language. I was happy to catch some of the Easter eggs. And a couple of times I was hit by a truth like an arrow to the heart.

Invisible Strings is a celebration of the work of Taylor Swift. It’s a celebration of modern American poetry. Thoughtful Swifties will be engaged with these poems, reading and rereading, trying to find all the hidden messages. But you don’t have to be a fan of Swift to read this. Each of these poems stand on their own as a testament to modern life and relationships. Having the Swift connections may help make this a richer experience, but you don’t lose out with these poems by not knowing her songs. You only lose out if you don’t read them.

Egalleys for Invisible Strings were provided by Ballantine Books through NetGalley, with many thanks.

Thank you to Ballantine Books and Random House Publishing for the eARC. These are my honest thoughts.

I'm potentially the exact target market for this book... a Swiftie and a former English major turned prolific reader.

There were quite a few poems I LOVED. But most were just OK/meh. I get in a collection of poetry, you're going to get some serious variety. But a lot of the poems didn't translate for me from Taylor Swift to modern poetry. I felt like I was back in an English Lit class, and it wasn't fun dissecting the pieces like I thought it would be. I also felt like most of the poems were a stretch from a Taylor Swift song to the poem printed on page.

My favorite was by Tyler Knott Gregson.

Liked it one time? 3 stars.

This was a really unique collection of poetry! I enjoyed trying to guess which song each poem was inspired by. Great gift for any Taylor Swift fan!

One of the many things I've marveled at when it comes to Taylor Swift's fandom is their dedication to decoding every single nuance of her songs. The attention to detail they bring to her songs, videos, concerts, and social media posts is the sort of close reading that most English teachers (like me) can only dream about. "Invisible Strings: 113 Poets Respond to the Songs of Taylor Swift" offers poets and readers another opportunity to consider Swift's work and how her lyrics and themes might inspire other pieces. For this anthology, these poets (who may or may not be members of The Tortured Poets Department) were each assigned a Swift song. True to its title, the specific song that inspired each poet is not identified, leaving it to readers to discern which songs each poet might be responding to. Fortunately, Swift's fans have plenty of practice with this. Readers who are not well versed in Swift's ouvre will nevertheless get to enjoy a collection of poems by an eclectic and skilled group of poets.

Now let me say right up front that you'll need to take my rating with a grain of salt. While I don't dislike poetry (and am in fact a big fan of much of Shakespeare's work), it isn't something I gravitate to all that often. Also while I love music and would say I'm a fan of Taylor Swift's music, I probably don't qualify as a 'Swiftie'. Still I do enjoy much of her music and there is no denying her influence. So the idea of a book of poetry inspired by and in response to her music intrigued me. There are 113 poems here and each one is supposedly connected to one of her songs. Now as I already said I like her music but am not a diehard Swiftie so it probably won't come as a surprise that puzzling out which song a particular poem was responding to wasn't something I was able to do. And there perhaps was the disconnect for me. I clearly wasn't the target demographic this book was meant for and while I could appreciate quite a few of the poems the connection just wasn't there for me. That being said I've no doubt legions of Swifties will connect with the poems and have little to no trouble figuring out which song each is in reference to. I'd like to thank
Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read and review an eARC of Invisible Strings.

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/invisible-strings-kristie-frederick-daugherty/1145919238?ean=9780593982419&bvnotificationId=6309baf9-b5fd-11ef-922d-0e0e9f459767&bvmessageType=REVIEW_APPROVED&bvrecipientDomain=gmail.com#review/327148288