Taylor Swift: "folklore"

I don't have many clear opinions on Taylor Swift's "folklore," yet, but thank you to the friends who have asked! Instead, some snapshots from a major Swift Weekend:

*Novelist Curtis Sittenfeld listens to the melodramatic story song "Exile" and retweets: "I'm glad I'm not the only one who googled Did Taylor and Joe break up...."

*Smash Mouth causes a stir by rechristening the album "borelore" (an opinion shared by the NYTimes) ....and the star of "Teen Wolf" valiantly responds: "Fuck Smash Mouth." Meanwhile, in her Covid bubble, the songstress Halsey writes, "I would die for Taylor Swift...."

*My own newest piece of Taylor merch arrives. (Good timing!) It's a black ball cap with the word "Swiftie" stitched across the front. My husband--who purchased this--insists that I won't be confused with a Swift Boat Veteran. He seems to find my worry comical.

Before the album came out, I had read that there was promotional language alluding to wood sprites and forest faeries...and, given the title, I was maybe hoping for a Howard Ashman-esque fantasy narrative. But sometimes I'm a bit too literal. I have very much enjoyed my sensitive husband's response to the fracas; he wants to be able to say, "I don't like this as much as RED," but he also wants to protect my feelings, but, still, he wants his honest response noted....My son is mainly silent on the matter, except that he does sometimes start to say BLAB BLAB BLAB BLAB GAAAA around Track Five.

More later....

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