Swift Happenings is the first full collection of poetry from Chloe Hanks. Author of two pamphlets, May We All Be Artefacts and I Call Upon the Witches. Swift Happenings is an intertextual project engaging with pop culture as a poetic exploration of the concept of authorship and what it means to writers.
In this project, Hanks engages with the lyrics of Taylor Swift as a response to the 2019 Masters Controversy. This is a memoir style piece, reflecting on a childhood of which Swift's music was the soundtrack; however, the collection moves along into a cathartic reflection of adulthood, discussing themes of identity, isolation and loneliness before coming to a poignant resolution.
The collection is accompanied by footnoted references of where Hanks' work responds to Swift's, resulting in a discussion between the two, and ultimately showcasing the legacy of our words beyond the legal constraints of authorship.