Why Bob Dylan matters
By: Richard F. Thomas
Edition: First edition.
Published: 2017
Language: eng
Number of pages: 358
ISBN-13: 9780062685735
Subjects: Criticism and interpretation
Description: When the Nobel Prize for Literature was awarded to Bob Dylan in 2016, a debate raged. Some celebrated, while many others questioned the choice. How could the world's most prestigious book prize be awarded to a famously cantankerous singer-songwriter who wouldn't even deign to attend the medal ceremony? In 'Why Bob Dylan matters', Harvard Professor Richard F. Thomas answers this question with magisterial erudition. A world expert on Classical poetry, Thomas was initially ridiculed by his colleagues for teaching a course on Bob Dylan alongside his traditional seminars on Homer, Virgil, and Ovid. Dylan's Nobel Prize brought him vindication, and he immediately found himself thrust into the spotlight as a leading academic voice in all matters Dylanological. Today, through his wildly popular Dylan seminar - affectionately dubbed "Dylan 101" - Thomas is introducing a new generation of fans and scholars to the revered bard's work. This witty, personal volume is a distillation of Thomas's famous course, and makes a compelling case for moving Dylan out of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and into the pantheon of Classical poets.
Notes: Includes discography.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 333-336) and index.
Table of contents: title: Bob Dylan's discography; title: Why does Dylan matter to us?; title: Together through life; title: Dylan and ancient Rome: "That's where I was born"; title: "Vibrations in the universe": Dylan tells his own story; title: The early thefts: "Mine've been like Verlaine's and Rimbaud's"; title: "The gift was given back": Time Out of Mind and beyond; title: Mature poets steal: Virgil, Dylan, and the making of a classic; title: Modern Times and the world's ancient light: becoming Homer; title: The show's the thing: Dylan in performance; title: Conclusion: Speechless in Stockholm.