“In silent screams and wildest dreams, I never dreamed of this. This love is good. This love is bad. This love is alive back from the dead.” This week we’re setting sail on one of history’s greatest epics, Homer’s The Odyssey, and asking a very important question... did Taylor Swift write it? (We’re mostly joking. Mostly.) In this Show & Tell episode, we each make the case for a Taylor Swift song that illuminates a different facet of the Odyssey, from Penelope’s 20-year vigil to Odysseus weeping on a gorgeous island, to the sirens, the wine-dark sea, and a very significant scar. Along the way, the hosts dig into questions of translation and interpretation — particularly the significance of Emily Wilson’s landmark female translation of the text — discuss the role of Athena in the story of the epic, and geek out about the archery contest that shows up in both the Odyssey and two Indian epics. Plus: the upcoming Christopher Nolan adaptation, the musical Epic by Jorge Rivera, Madeline Miller’s Circe, and why All Too Well (10 Minute Version) might just be Taylor’s own Odyssey. Two ways to get more of AP Taylor Swift: Substack: free subscribers get episode updates. Paid subscribers get After School: bonus episodes, our full written archive, and a vote in what we cover next. Subscribe: http://aptaylorswift.substack.com/subscribe First 50 people to grab a Substack After School annual plan get 40% off: https://aptaylorswift.substack.com/wishlistmemberdiscount Apple Podcasts: paid subscribers get ad-free episodes, early episode access, and bonus episodes Songs Discussed in This Episode: This Love — Taylor Swift (1989, 2014) | Written by Taylor Swift and Nathan Chapman I Don’t Want to Live Forever — Taylor Swift & Zayn (Fifty Shades Darker soundtrack, 2017) | Written by Taylor Swift, Jack Antonoff, and Sam Dew Willow — Taylor Swift (evermore, 2020) | Written by Taylor Swift and Aaron Dessner Honorable Mentions: Long Story Short (evermore) — previously discussed in our Greek Mythology episode (E67) Breathe (Fearless) Treacherous (Red) The Great War (Midnights) The Story of Us (Speak Now) High Infidelity (Midnights) Castle’s Crumbling (feat. Hayley Williams, Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)) Dear Reader (Midnights) State of Grace (Red) Gold Rush (evermore) Mentioned in This Episode: The Odyssey, Homer (trans. Emily Wilson) The Odyssey, Homer (trans. Robert Fagles) Circe, Madeline Miller The Song of Achilles, Madeline Miller The Penelopiad, Margaret Atwood Epic: The Musical, Jorge Rivera-Herrans Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey (upcoming film) All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version) — mentioned as a potential “Taylor’s Odyssey” Ulysses, James Joyce (briefly mentioned) Episode Highlights: [~00:01] Welcome and why the Odyssey, why now [~10:45] Maansi’s pick: This Love as Penelope’s story — the weaving scheme, the suitors, and letting go [~24:00] Jenn’s pick: I Don’t Want to Live Forever as Odysseus refusing immortality on Calypso’s island [~38:27] Jodi’s pick: Willow — ships, the wine-dark sea, Charybdis, the sirens, and the bait-and-switch of Odysseus’ return [~01:00:19] Honorable mentions: Breathe, Treacherous, The Great War, The Story of Us, High Infidelity, Castle’s Crumbling, Dear Reader, State of Grace, Gold Rush Follow AP Taylor Swift Podcast on Social! TikTok → tiktok.com/@APTaylorSwift Instagram → instagram.com/APTaylorSwift YouTube → youtube.com/@APTaylorSwift Link Tree → linktr.ee/aptaylorswift Bookshop.org → bookshop.org/shop/apts Libro.fm → tinyurl.com/aptslibro Contact us at aptaylorswift@gmail.com Affiliate Codes: Krowned Krystals — krownedkrystals.com | Use code APTS at checkout for 10% off! Libro.fm — Looking for an audiobook? Check out our Libro.fm playlist and use code APTS30 for 30% off books found here: tinyurl.com/aptslibro This podcast is neither related to nor endorsed by Taylor Swift, her companies, or record labels. All opinions are our own. Intro music produced by Scott Zadig aka Scotty Z.
