ONLINE: This course takes a deep dive into the enigmatic and influential life of Bob Dylan, from his early days performing Little Richard covers in high school to receiving the Nobel Prize in literature in 2016 and his albums after that. What’s “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” about anyway, nuclear fallout or just rain? He discusses this in an interview. Whether writing about big brass beds, war or racial injustice, he had a unique language set to singable tunes. We'll explore his evolution, starting with his bar mitzvah in Minnesota and covering the hedonistic counterculture scene of 1960s New York, his surprising journey in Christianity and his continued songwriting into his 70s and 80s. Admittedly, Dylan’s singing is weak, but come prepared to talk about it. Love him or hate him, bring your thoughts. There are no wrong opinions. As he wrote: “If dogs run free, then why not me?” and “Don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.” | Facilitated discussion.
Max enrollment: 45.
Class sessions are recorded.
After graduating from Duke (B.A., 1967), Bill Phillips taught high school and administered a federal grant related to school integration. He promoted folk music in North Carolina schools under a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and at the same time did field research and folk music recordings now archived in the Southern Historical Collection at UNC. He has been listening to Bob Dylan ever since freshman year in college, always eagerly awaiting the release of the next album.