In this episode, Tess explores the months leading up to the release of Taylor Swift’s eleventh album, The Tortured Poets Department. Tess analyses the title, imagery, themes & queer symbolism present in the promotion cycle for this album. She also weaves in her own personal journey with Taylor over the last 6 months, speaking to the wider socio-political landscape that this album and its promotion is born into and the influence that has on how Taylor’s art is received. Tess also speaks to the continued importance of the queer history that she and many others discover through Taylor’s art and tries to find a way of holding enough space for all of these threads to coexist together.

Taylor mentioning "But daddy I love him" in an award speech for Love Story: https://youtu.be/mEErntd2i6M?si=AmHX7CbLRwyRrwRf&t=56

Support Friends of Dorothea on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/friendsofdorothea

TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@invisibletheme?_t=8ggLIBrgyZM&_r=1⁠

Twitter: ⁠https://twitter.com/Dorothea_Pod⁠

Friends of Dorothea homepage: ⁠https://www.notion.so/friendsofdorothea/Friends-of-Dorothea-Homepage-05210b1cc60742bdbcbc65487b35d3d8?pvs=4⁠

Google Calendar of Events: ⁠https://calendar.google.com/calendar/embed?src=478de0d4046b0482e5eb49b2481e4cb25a7ee7c562c9e0de5695245c6f2f724c%40group.calendar.google.com&ctz=Europe%2FLondon⁠

Podcast artwork designed by Lisa from Ghostly Scene Goods (https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/GhostlyScene) and TTPD re-design by Anne-Marie.