Two Indianapolis writers made the most of Taylor Swift’s ubiquitous appeal

“Kiss Your Darlings: A Taylor Swift Anthology” was published by Ohio-based Olney Magazine in 2022 and co-edited by Indianapolis writers Samantha Fain and Téa Franco. (Photo provided by Samantha Fain)

Within millions of Taylor Swift fans is an imaginative subset that creates art directly inspired by Swift’s work.

Samantha Fain and Téa Franco, two Indianapolis-based writers who met while attending grad school at Bowling Green State University in Ohio, are Swifties who have looked to the “Blank Space” singer when crafting poems and stories.

“We have used her as a metaphor for childhood or God,” Fain said. “We were interested in seeing if there were other people inspired by her work in the same way we were.”

The short answer is “yes,” as evidenced by a 2022 anthology of writing co-edited by Fain and Franco. “Kiss Your Darlings: A Taylor Swift Anthology” features 32 contributors, and Fain and Franco reviewed submissions from writers throughout the United States as well as India and the United Kingdom.

The book, featuring cover art thats a visual riff on the cover of Swift’s “1989” album, was published by Ohio-based Olney Magazine.

Fain and Franco will continue their Swift research when they attend one of the “Eras Tour” shows scheduled Nov. 1-3 at Lucas Oil Stadium. Local fans will be rare at the sold-out concerts. According to Eric Neuburger, director of Lucas Oil Stadium, 89% of ticket holders live outside of central Indiana and 81% of ticket holders are non-Indiana residents.

Fain, 26, is a Swiftie who represents Gen Z. Fourteen-time Grammy Award winner Swift has fans ranging from today’s adolescents (Generation Alpha) to baby boomers.

“She is a very good marketer,” Fain said of Swift. “I think she knows how to speak to any audience she wants to, and she knows how to dominate the Billboard charts. Whether that’s good or bad, she’s very good at it.”

Fain credits Swift for her ability to transform slang such as “down bad” (a desperate situation of longing) and “hits different” (something unusually impactful) and create song titles and accompanying lyrics.

As a poet, Fain unapologetically draws on popular culture. In 2021, the Connersville native and Franklin College alum published a collection of poems inspired by the animated Netflix series “BoJack Horseman.” Fain’s 2024 book, “Are You There,” includes references to Ask Jeeves and Kim Kardashian.

“A lot of people argue that things that you write about or things that are important need to be timeless, but that’s never been something I’ve believed in,” Fain said. “Anything that influences you or inspires you—whether it’s in the moment or for a week or for a year—if it changes you, it changes you. That’s why I get a lot of inspiration from pop culture.”

“Are You There” was released in April by English publisher Bad Betty, and Fain traveled to the U.K. in June for a book tour. On Oct. 5, Fain was a featured presenter at new Indianapolis event Proof: A Midwest Lit Fest.

Franco, Fain’s partner, wrote a collection of short stories titled “You Could Be that Kind of Girl” that was published in August by Montana-based Word West. One of the fictional stories in “You Could Be that Kind of Girl” is based on having a sleepover attended by Swift.

Fain said she appreciates the current wave of successful “pop girls” such as Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan, Charli XCX and Billie Eilish. At the same time, Fain said she understands the viewpoint of Swift detractors who say the “Shake It Off” singer dominates too much of the musical landscape.

Meanwhile, “Kiss Your Darlings” will soon have company in the realm of new art that follows existing art. In December, Penguin Random House will publish “Invisible Strings: 113 Poets Respond to the Songs of Taylor Swift.” The book’s editor is Kristie Frederick Daugherty, a professor at the University of Evansville.