In the fall of 2024, 麻豆社 Fox University’s Department of English, Languages, and Communication will launch the inaugural Eclectic Texts Conference (ETC), a two-day event aimed at combining popular cultural texts with academic research for the purpose of sharing how these texts both create their own influence while simultaneously drawing influence from other texts throughout history.
Join us on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 25-26, in the Hoover Academic Building for “Taylor Swift: The Voice of an Age,” where we’ll discuss the impact Swift has had on our culture.
Taylor Swift: The Voice of an Age
Friday, October 25th
4:15-5:00 Arrival and check-in, Hoover
5:00-6:00 Paper presentations (Session A)
Fan/Celebrity (1)
- Behind the Spotlight: Are Celebrities Manipulating Us?, Maia Rodriguez
- Swiftly Committed: Unpacking the Fan Frenzy Behind Taylor Swift’s Inelastic Loyalty, Anaya Mitchell
- Taylor Swift and the NFL, Jayden Forsyth
Fan/Celebrity (2)
- The Parasocial Relationship Between Swift and Swifties, Sydney Cortez
- The Taylor Swift Effect: Discovering the Power of Celebrity Influence, Josiah Adams
- The Near-Worship of Taylor Swift, Sam Pilcher
Christianity
- What Christians Can Learn from Swifties, Jessica Ann Hughes
- Taylor Swift as a Socio-Religious Phenomenon, Colton Kirby
- The Idolization of a Human Being, Strom Nordeng
6:00-7:15: Conference attenders are are invited to get dinner somewhere in Newberg, bring a picnic dinner for the quad, or purchase a meal ticket for the Dining Hall
7:15-8:30 Keynote Lecture, The Many Eras of Swift, Dr. Gary Tandy and Emmy King
8:30-9:30 Interactive Panel
Friendship Bracelets
- Make the Friendship Bracelets: Swifties Recovering Pulsera, Dr. Holly Shelton
- You’re On Your Own and Friendship Bracelets, Aliah Eells
Saturday, October 26th
9:00-10:00 Paper Presentations (Session B)
Fans/Celebrity
- Taylor Swift’s Most Important Relationship: And No, It’s Not Who You Think It Is, Rachael Vorster
- Taylor’s World: International Perspectives, Muezzina Rizwan & Cut Fiandra Zahra
- The Fame and Influence of Taylor Swift, Nat Green
Cinema
- Taylor Swift and Her Cinematic Universe of Motifs: Why Taylor Swift’s Use of Motifs Is Important to Understanding Her Artistry, Olivia Aragaon
- "The Crowd was Chanting More:" Why It Worked for Eras but not for Tortured Poets, Grace Bydlon
- Lights, Camera, Lyrics: Cinematic/Directorial Language reflecting storytelling, Atlas Myers
Revenge/Christian Ethics
- Are the Accusations of Witchcraft Against Taylor Swift Founded in Fact or Fear?, Lydia Engel
- Dancing with the Devil: Swift and Christian Ethics, Emmy King
- Lewis and Swift on Forgiveness, Emily Busch
Feminism
- Was Antoinette Really a Mad Woman?, Brigitta Andreas
- "Long May You Roar at Your Dinosaurs": Taylor Swift on Childhood and Nostalgia, Paul Friesen
10:15-11:15 Paper Presentations (Session C)
Religion
- Swift Must Be Something More: A Christian Musical Analysis, Brooklyn Chillemi
- The Best People in Life are Free: The New Romantics and the Gospel, Steve Studebaker
- Dear John: Eve Was Worthy Too, Claire Ahlem
Literature and Art Discourse
- Michelangelo, Eliot, and Taylor Swift: How Society Forgot the Sanctity of Art, Arabelle Bruner
- Feminism and paving the way for other artists, Eryn Gates
- Taylor Swift and William Blake: Two Contrary States of the Human Soul, Jane Loudermilk
Tortured Stories
- A Tortured Love: Taylor Swift and the Tragic Love Story, Sarah Keck
- What If It Was a Book: Looking at TTPD as a Work of Literature, Jocelyn Schindler
- Why Torture Poets?: The Narrative Poetics of Taylor Swift, Elizabeth Kerns
11:15-1:00 Brunch, Canyon Commons, and Keynote Lecture
12:00-1:00pm Keynote Lecture, "Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve": Taylor Swift and the Theology of Regret, Dr. Travis Pickell and Claire Ahlem
1:15-2:15 Paper Presentations (Session D)
American Reality
- Welcome to Tishomingo: Two Different Yet Related Visions of intimate American Reality according to Zach Bryan and Taylor Swift, Solomon Moore
- "Our Song": Country Music, Nationalism, and the American Dream, Adelle Otter
- Who’s Afraid of Little Old Piano Man: Taylor Swift, Billy Joel, and the Abuse of Artists, Josh Hammingh
Marketing
- Transportation Engineering at Swift Concerts, Austin Bennett
- Growing Up Swiftly: The Evolution of a Middle-Class Swifty, Maddy Farnham
- What strategies does Taylor Swift use to market herself and why do they work?, Aubree Carr & Alison Ewing
Mirrorball: Taylor's Image and Reputation
- Is Taylor Swift the Epitome of White American Culture?, Citlally Mexicano-Nukaga
- Fireworks Over Your Town: A Reclaimed Reputation, Megan Kenyon
- Icon or Idol? The Intersection of Religious Faith and Fan Culture, Eliana Davey
2:30-3:30 Keynote Lecture, The Feminism of Taylor Swift, Dr. Melanie Mock and Brigitta Andreas
4:00-5:00 Paper Presentations (Zoom Session)
- Speak Now or Evolve: The Feminist Shift in Taylor Swift’s Re-recorded Albums, Keegan Butler
- The Poet & The Pop-Star: Taylor Swift, Rupi Kaur, and the Poetics of Particularity, Aleks Morales
- “I’d be the Man:" Ye and Mayer or the men who "made" Taylor Swift, David Martinez
Register by October 18th! Questions, email gfu-english@georgefox.edu
Who Is Invited?
Everyone who wants to learn about why pop culture matters and how it engages a long history of literature!
ETC brings undergraduate research into conversation with graduate and professional scholarship to create a space where:
- Prospective college students (and their parents) can experience life as a humanities major
- Undergraduate students can develop their research skills and build their resumes
- Professional scholars can welcome everyone into a deeper appreciation of the pop-culture topics they love
- Swifties of all ages can deepen their understanding of the phenomenon that is Taylor Swift
Registration
Register by Oct. 18 to attend!
There are two registration options available:
- $5 basic registration
- $15 registration for Saturday brunch meal ticket (those with a GFU meal plan, or who do not want to go through the buffet line do not need a brunch ticket for the second keynote)
FAQ
Once we’ve reviewed your proposal, we’ll email you to let you know if your paper has been accepted. By Oct. 1, we will have the conference schedule available so you know when and where you will present. You can register for the conference at any time, and even if your paper isn’t selected, we’d love for you to attend!