Themes in Literature (ENG 223)The Life and Work of Bob DylanProfessor Bob Fuhrel
This course is a survey of a large selection of the published, recorded, and filmed work of Bob Dylan, who has been called “the single most influential figure in popular music of the past fifty years” and who has won many awards, including the Kennedy Center Award and a special Pulitzer Prize “for his profound impact on popular music an American culture, marked by lyrical compositions of extraordinary power.” Dylan’s unique command of colloquial English has changed the way songs can be written and sung.
We will consider some of Dylan’s influences, his various styles and innovations, his occasional public pronouncements in interviews and press conferences, and the comments of an often baffled, sometimes adoring, occasionally scornful, but always intrigued body of critics and fans. The major focus is on Dylan’s recorded performances, in the studio and on stage. The goal of the course is an appreciation of Dylan’s enormously influential body of work and an understanding of some of the aspects of his career, with attention paid to the many “masks” the artist has worn over the decades and the large body of criticism his work has engendered. The professor has been listening to, studying about, and attending concerts by Bob Dylan since 1963 and owns an extensive collection of official and unofficial recordings on vinyl, cd, and dvd in addition to dozens of books. Most of the readings for the course will be on reserve in the college library and possibly available on-line. |