Salukis on Swift: The Anthology

by Rafael Frumkin, Jori Bonadurer, Jo Christian

In this unique and exciting collection of creative nonfiction, the Southern Illinois University-Carbondale community weighs in on the lyricism and legacy of pop icon Taylor Swift. The seven essays in this book, written by current and former SIUC students and faculty from a variety of backgrounds and experience, are united in a deep appreciation for Swift’s career-defining ability to find the universal in the particular, as well as a love of the music that will continue to shape our culture for generations to come.

From Speak Now to Reputation to Midnights to The Tortured Poets Department, join these salukis on a tour through one of the best-known musical catalogs of all time!

202 pages, Paperback

First published May 17, 2025

About the author

Rafael Frumkin is the author of CONFIDENCE (2023), which was a New York Times Editor's Pick and one of the Washington Post's 50 Best Books of 2023. Her debut, THE COMEDOWN (2018), was optioned for TV first by Freddie Highmore and Regina King at Starz, and then by Sony Trident. Her collection, BUGSY AND OTHER STORIES, was longlisted for the 2024 Story Prize.

She has written for the New York Times, Washington Post, Paris Review, Granta, Guernica, Hazlitt, Virginia Quarterly Review, and McSweeney's Internet Tendency, among other places.

Reviews

[Mela · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent read about how music can morph from being a backdrop in our lives to becoming a therapeutic and motivating force. I thoroughly enjoyed reading how Taylor Swift's music and lyrics mirrored life experiences the contributors in this collection went through. The writers help us see how Swift's music captures, captivates, and, at times, helps heal emotional wounds. What more could a musical artist and her listening community hope for?

[Nico Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful collection of moving essays. I wouldn’t have counted myself as a Swiftie before reading this but I’m definitely one now

[Rafael Frumkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a delight both to edit and contribute to. If you're looking for smart, funny, heart-wrenching personal essays riffing on one of the world's most beloved discographies, look no further than this group of Southern IL writers!