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We assumed it was self-evident that we were referring to a scholar of the works of the Anglo-Irish, eighteenth-century satirist Jonathan Swift.
Photo by Jovan Vasiljević on Unsplash
Dear Dr. Daisy May,
Thank you for your application for the advertised Swift scholar position at the Department of English at UT Austin. Each application has received careful consideration by all members of the search committee, and we are sorry to have to tell you that the committee has decided not to proceed any further with yours. We certainly appreciate your enthusiasm for the position but believe you may have misunderstood the job posting. When we said we were looking for a Swift scholar, we assumed it was self-evident that we were referring to a scholar of the works of the Anglo-Irish, eighteenth-century satirist Jonathan Swift. For all her merits, which you have listed at length in your application materials, we are not looking for a Taylor Swift scholar at this — and we cannot overstate this — or any other time.
Normally, this would be the end of this letter but given the passion evident in your application, the committee feels it is important to clarify the misunderstanding on your part for the sake of future hiring committees, and frankly, as an expression of our utter exasperation. For instance, when asked to speak about recent scholarship on A Modest Proposal, you cited the rejection of the idea of a proposal, marriage and the “1950s shit they want from me” in “Lavender Haze” as a feminist statement. Additionally, your argument that our commitment to ethics and liberal arts values is aligned with Taylor Swift’s commitment to “keeping her side of the street clean”, left something to be desired.
While your analysis of “the Brobdingnagian themes in the Anti-Hero music video in which Taylor transforms into a giant” was interesting, we cannot agree with your conclusion that “Anti-Hero surpasses Gulliver’s Travels”. We would also like to clarify that your extensive discussion of height differences between Taylor Swift, Jake Gyllenhaal and Conor Kennedy does not amount to “an extension of the Lilliputian/Brobdingnagian metaphor from Gulliver’s Travels”. Thank you, nonetheless, for your detailed explanations of why Mr. Gyllenhaal (5’11 ½) “didn’t like it when [Ms. Swift (5’10)] wore high heels” and Mr. Kennedy (6’3) was indifferent.
We do concede that Taylor Swift’s contract with her former label and her subsequent re-recordings of her old albums provide powerful lessons for intellectual property and copyright law, but your explanation is hardly enough to merit a joint appointment at the law school, as you suggest.
Furthermore, we were appalled at your suggestion that our department replace all Shakespeare courses with Taylor Swift courses because, as you put it, “as the most prolific artist of the pandemic who put out folklore, evermore, The Long Pond Studio Sessions, Fearless (Taylor’s Version), Red (Taylor’s Version), the All Too Well short film, All Too Well (Sad Girl Autumn, Long Pond Session) in 2020–21, Swift is the Shakespeare of the contemporary era but better because Shakespeare only wrote King Lear during the pandemic of his time, which is impressive but is just a single play and not four whole albums”.
Finally, we must remind you that Taylor Swift is certainly not the Swift anyone is referring to when they say “foremost prose satirist in the English language”. While we did find your arguments about Taylor Swift’s gendered satire compelling, the committee remains firm in our belief that it is Jonathan Swift who holds that distinction. The merits of “Blank Space” and “Vigilante Sh*t” aside, the satire in these songs is not on par with A Modest Proposal.
On this note, we are now obligated to say we appreciate your interest in the position, but we really don’t. We understand that this will be upsetting news and hope that you can “shake it off”. Before, you ask: We did indeed check your materials once and then checked them twice. We can now say we have a list of names for our shortlist and yours isn’t in red or underlined.
Finally, in response to your query, no, UT Austin has no connection to Austin Swift, “actor and younger brother of Taylor Alison Swift”.
P.S. It is not appropriate to sign off your emails with “Meet me at midnight”.
Wishing you the best in your “Eras era”,
The Search Committee
Department of English
UT Austin
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Jarastyle – #Unable #Offer #Position #NeverWhat #Means #Swift #Scholar #Sauleha #Apr
Courtesy : https://thebelladonnacomedy.com/we-are-unable-to-offer-you-the-position-because-thats-never-what-anyone-means-by-swift-scholar-e35ada1bda5e?source=rss—-e9e22d25fb5e—4