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Sylvia Plath. Photograph: Granger/Historical Picture Archive/Alamy
Nelson’s books are often slim, like Pathemata. She mentions Plath “burning away all the peripherals” with her concise style, leaving no unnecessary words on the page. Nelson seems to aim for that same essential reduction. Yet, she recalls being an unstoppably talkative child, engaging in “copious speaking.” How did she become so economical in her writing? Through “tonnes” of editing, she explains. “I started as a poet with long sessions of outpouring, then carving away… You’re hacking off to shape it into form, so I likely do something similar. I was making Pathemata so small that I kept telling myself, ‘Don’t whittle it away to nothing.’”
So, is she truly burning away the peripheries? “Yeah, I think so. Although in The Slicks, I defend Taylor Swift’s excess.” We return to the singer, who presents her own paradox in Nelson’s literary world. As a glittering all-American star with notable business savvy and lean-in feminism, Swift embodies the mainstream, while Nelson occupies a more alternative space. That, she says, is precisely the appeal: “Part of the joy is being drawn to something that, compared to my background in queer and punk scenes, is very norm-core… Insisting on being part of it is a way to affirm that you belong in this culture.”
She gives the example of the Super Bowl, now linked with Swift and her footballer fiancé, Travis Kelce, but also a centerpiece of popular American culture. “I like football, so I was watching it, but there were anti-trans commercials that Trump was running. We had a party to watch the game, and it felt like a signal that ‘this isn’t for you.’ I’m interested in who gets to be part of this mainstream. I’m not willing to give that up.”
Living amid Trumpian politics and the contested terrain of trans identity within her family—she resides in California with her son and her gender nonconforming partner, artist Harry Dodge—must create its own dissonance. “It’s not terrible for my family right now, but it’s shifting sands every day where vulnerable bodies are being brutalized,” she says, building to a politely expressed outrage. “I care deeply about freedom. I won’t be lectured about it by people intent on taking it away. I wrote a book about it, On Freedom, addressing the two major discourses in the U.S.: one about the abolition of slavery and civil rights, and the other from white supremacists. They’ve always been present in America.”
Is America currently confronting white supremacy? “Do you mean Trump? Sure. It’s very obvious what we’re dealing with here.” Perhaps the capacity for joy that Nelson sees Swift channeling in her music is a necessary light against this darkness. With that in mind, will Nelson attend a Life of a Showgirl concert? It depends on whether her son remains a Swift fan, she says, and if she can justify the ticket cost. Last year, she directly traded it against a book license she sold for Bluets., which was adapted into a play in London. “I wanted to take my son and his friend to the Eras tour, but it was too expensive. I was unsure about licensing the play, but then I realized it would cost about the same to take everyone to the concert. In the spirit of Taylor Swift, I decided to sell it and go to the show.”
So, she jokes, if that situation comes up again, she’ll be there for Showgirl. That’s Swiftonomics in action. “Pathemata: Or, the Story of My Mouth” by Maggie Nelson is published by Fern (£12.99). “The Slicks” will be released on November 13 (Fern). To browse all of Maggie Nelson’s books, visit theguardianbookshop.com. Delivery fees may apply.
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of FAQs about Maggie Nelsons perspective on ambition as a harsh realm for women using the comparison of Taylor Swift and Sylvia Plath
General BeginnerLevel Questions
1 What is Maggie Nelsons main point about ambition and women
She argues that society often views ambitious women harshly subjecting them to intense scrutiny and criticism that their male counterparts typically avoid
2 Who is Maggie Nelson
Maggie Nelson is a celebrated American author and critic known for her genrebending books that blend memoir theory and cultural criticism such as The Argonauts and The Red Parts
3 Why is she comparing Taylor Swift to Sylvia Plath
Nelson uses the comparison to highlight how both are brilliant ambitious women whose personal lives and art are intensely picked apart She suggests Swift faces a similar kind of public dissection and pressure that Plath did making her a modern equivalent
4 What does ambition as a harsh realm mean
It means that the world of striving for great success is often an unforgiving and difficult place for women filled with double standards and judgment
5 Who was Sylvia Plath
Sylvia Plath was a groundbreaking American poet and novelist most famous for her semiautobiographical novel The Bell Jar and her intense confessional poetry Her life and tragic death have made her an iconic though complicated feminist figure
Advanced Deeper Questions
6 How is Taylor Swift like the Sylvia Plath of today
Like Plath Swift is a massively successful artist who mines her personal life for her art Both have been critically analyzed not just for their work but for their relationships mental health and public personas in a way that often overshadows their artistic achievements
7 What are the double standards Nelson is likely referring to
An ambitious man is often called driven and powerful while an ambitious woman might be labeled calculating dramatic or too emotional Their success is often attributed to personal relationships rather than their own talent and hard work
8 Isnt Taylor Swift celebrated not criticized How does she face a harsh realm
While she is celebrated she also faces immense backlash Her every move relationship and song is hyperanalyzed
