The Slicks: On Sylvia Plath and Taylor Swift
By (Author) Maggie Nelson
Vintage Publishing
Fern Press
18th November 2025
United Kingdom
Tertiary Education
Non Fiction
Literary studies: poetry and poets
Popular culture
Feminism and feminist theory
Gift and novelty books / items
Paperback
80
Width 111mm, Height 161mm, Spine 5mm
50g
An unexpected celebration of two of the most famous female poets of all time - Taylor Swift and Sylvia Plath - and an inspired treatise on female ambition by the adored cult author of Bluets and The Argonauts In The Slicks, Maggie Nelson positions culture-dominating pop superstar Taylor Swift and feminist cult icon Sylvia Plath as twin hosts of the female urge toward wanting hard, working hard, and pouring forth - and as twinned targets of patriarchy's ancient urge to disparage, trivialise and demonise such prolific, intimate output. The Slicks is a heady, rallying and unexpected melding of popular culture and literary criticism - an inspired treatise and unexpected celebration of two iconic female poets by one of the most revered and influential critics of her generation.
Among the sharpest and most supple thinkers of her generation -- Olivia Laing
One of the most unique voices in non-fiction: enquiring, political, lyrically dazzling, empathetic -- Sinad Gleeson
Always brilliant -- Geoff Dyer
Her words come as though from a great distance and strike incredibly close -- Anne Enright
Maggie Nelson shows us what it means to be real, offering a way of thinking that is as challenging as it is liberating -- Eula Biss
Maggie Nelson who writes with such passion, clarity, explicitness, fluidity, playfulness and generosity that she redefines what thinking can do today -- Wayne Koestenbaum
Maggie Nelson is the author of several books of prose and poetry including The Red Parts, Bluets, the National Book Critics Circle Award-winner The Argonauts, On Freedom, Like Love and, most recently, Pathemata. She teaches at the University of Southern California and lives in Los Angeles.