The Tortured Poets Anthology - The CatalogueLike this list

31 items

• Dead Poets Society

  a Novel

  Kleinbaum, N. H., 1948-

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  The novel adaption of the film by the same name, the Dead Poets Society tells the story of a group of school boys who become enchanted by their new teacher's unorthodox methods. He introduces them to classical literature, poetry, and art,…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Coral Sea

  Smith, Patti, 1946-

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  Mentioned in The Tortured Poets Department, Patti Smith is an American singer and poet. The Coral Sea is a companion book of poetry to an album of the same name, and a reflection of the life of her friend Robert Mapplethorpe.

• Dylan Thomas

  a Centenary Celebration

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  Mentioned in The Tortured Poets Department, Dylan Thomas was a Welsh poet who wrote such famous poems as "Do not go gentle into that good night". He was known for his lyrical style and shocking personal life. This is a collection of…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Out of Chaos Comes Bliss

  Essential Poems

  Thomas, Dylan, 1914-1953

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  In companion to above, a collation off essential Dylan Thomas poetry.

• Barbie

  the World Tour

  Robbie, Margot, 1990-

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  In the song My Boy Only Breaks His Favourite Toys, we hear a lot of imagery around plastic, breaking, and fixing. We also hear "I felt more when we played pretend, than with all the Kens..." , reminding us of this beautiful costume book by…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Great Gatsby

  Fitzgerald, F. Scott (Francis Scott), 1896-1940

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  In the song So Long, London, we have imagery of gazing at lights through mist, invoking this powerful Jazz Age novel. Widely regarded as F. Scott Fitzgerald's best, if not most famous, work, it tells Nick Carraway's account and…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Macbeth

  Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616

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  Also in So Long, London, Swift remoulds the line "Who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him?", calling in the great tragedy of Macbeth. This play tells the story of the ambitious and ruthless Macbeth as he claims…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Song of the Campfire

  Service, Robert W. (Robert William), 1874-1958

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  Last of all for, So Long, London, has the lyric 'Two graves, one gun" as a ghostly chant towards the end of the song. Scottish-Canadian Poet Robert W. Service has a beautiful poem in his collection called Two Graves, which also utilises…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Complete Stories

  Andersen, H. C. (Hans Christian), 1805-1875

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  "But Daddy, I love him!" Cries Ariel in Disney's The Little Mermaid. She doesn't say quite the same thing in the this version of the story, but a lot of the motif's are there. In this collection of fairy tales, Danish author Hans Christian…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Florida

  Groff, Lauren, 1978-

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  This book was directly referenced by Florence Welch (Florence + The Machine), who features on track 8 'Florida!!!', and who based her verse on the short story collection. The state of Florida is a central setting and character to each…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Where the Crawdads Sing

  Owens, Delia, 1949-

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  While the song Guilty as Sin? doesn't have any identifiable literature references, this is the second time Swift has used the phrase "Guilty as Sin". She also used it in her song "Carolina", which she created for the movie adaption of…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Moments of Being

  Woolf, Virginia, 1882-1941

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  "Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?" is a direct reference to the movie title, "Who's Afraid of Virgnia Woolf?" which stars Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, two actors with tumultuous personal lives Swift has mentioned in previous works.…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• To the Lighthouse

  Woolf, Virginia, 1882-1941

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  To The Lighthouse is one of Virgnia Woolf's tells a story from three different perspectives, about a family's postponed visit to a lighthouse during their trip to the Isle of Skye. It examines naturally arising conflict and allegiances…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Wizard of Oz

  Baum, L. Frank (Lyman Frank), 1856-1919

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  "The coward claimed he was a lion," sings Swift in track 12, 'loml'. Here she invokes Baum's classic The Wizard of Oz, referencing the beloved cowardly lion who is desperately looking to gain his courage. The Wizard of Oz tells a dreamlike…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Just Kids

  Smith, Patti, 1946-

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  Another Patti Smith book - this time about her stay with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe in the famous New York hotel, The Chelsea Hotel, is directly named in the track 'loml'.

• Simon and Garfunkel

  the Concert in Central Park

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  If you'll allow a slight deviation, in track 13 I Can Do It With A Broken Heart, Swift tells us a mysterious 'they' tell her "Babe, you've gotta fake it 'til you make it." Who might have told her such a thing, you might wonder? Well - the…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Alchemist

  Coelho, Paulo, 1947-

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  Call it a stretch for track 14's The Alchemy - there are a dozen footballer romance novels I could have put on this list, but none of them would have half the meaning The Alchemist does, themes are congruent of course. The Alchemist is…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Clara Bow: Runnin' Wild by David Stenn

  View on goodreads.com

  The definitive Clara Bow biography as told by David Stenn. Clara Bow was a star during silent Hollywood in the 1930s. Widely regarded as the first 'It Girl', Bow had a tragic childhood and grew into one of the biggest stars in the world.…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Stevie Nicks

  Visions, Dreams & Rumours

  Howe, Zoë

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  In the track 'Clara Bow', Taylor also mentions the incredibly influential Stevie Nicks. Nicks preformed with Swift in 2010, where she introduced her as a childhood hero. Stevie was a member of the band Fleetwood Mac, and simultaneously…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Land of the Green Man

  a Journey Through the Supernatural Landscapes of the British Isles

  Larrington, Carolyne, 1959-

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  Old Shuck, Black Shuck, Barguests, the Grimm; The Black Dog - the folklore surrounding the image of a lurking, ghostly black dog was initially a sign of misfortune or death. Overtime, he's become a symbol or playful way to refer to…Read moreRead more of this annotation