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Fall 2008
English 98/198
2 Unit(s)

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About the Course:

Bob Dylan’s impact on twentieth century music is incalculable. The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock and Roll writes, “For over 40 years, Bob Dylan has remained the most influential American musician rock has ever produced and unquestionably the most important of the 1960s.” This course will examine the ways in which Dylan reinvented popular music, from his early “finger-pointing” days to the success of his most recent album Modern Times. By examining the responses to and the various interpretations of Dylan’s music, this class will study Dylan’s large body of literary work through its impact on both music and culture, as well as its influence in politics and social movements. We will follow four decades of songwriting, encompassing over 40 albums and more than 500 songs, while focusing on Dylan’s inscrutable personas, varying relationships with the press, and, most importantly, the contexts of his complex and obscure lyrics. This will be done primarily through reading interviews and commentaries, watching several documentaries, and listening to the music itself.

The class will also feature a guest speaker, Country Joe McDonald, whose accomplishments include a widely remembered performance at the famous 1969 Woodstock Festival and the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine in 1971.  

How to Enroll: