Bob Dylan in Cincinnati: A Conversation with Graley Herren
In his Nobel lecture, Bob Dylan famously wrote, “Our songs are alive in the land of the living. But songs are unlike literature. They’re meant to be sung, not read. The words in Shakespeare’s plays were meant to be read on the stage. Just as lyrics in songs are meant to sung, not read on a page. And I hope some of you get the chance to listen to these lyrics the way they were intended to be heard: in concert or on a record or however people are listening to these days.”[1] “In concert” is the optimal way to experience Bob Dylan’s lyrics because, with each live performance, Dylan creates a unique experience through his song selection, arrangements, and vocalizations. These performances have been the focus of studies by Dylanologists such as Paul Williams, Andrew Muir, John Rodosta and Keith Nainby, among others. In this episode renowned Dylan scholar and professor of English at Xavier University, Graley Herren, explains his approach to Bob Dylan’s live performances in his book, Bob Dylan in Cincinnati, through his central argument that “where and when a performance takes place matters.” To do so, Herren contextualizes each performance he analyzes through the civic, social, and political history of the Queen City. Not only does Herren’s book add to the study of Dylan in performance, it also provides a new lens through which to consider Dylan’s performances in a single city over the expanse of his career.
Bio:
Graley Herren is a Professor of English at Xavier University in Cincinnati. He is the author of books on Samuel Beckett, Don DeLillo, and Bob Dylan. He writes a Substack site on Dylan called Shadow Chasing, and he serves on the editorial board of The Dylan Review. His book Bob Dylan in Cincinnati will be released on September 15.
Links:
Buy Bob Dylan in Cincinnati: https://www.upress.state.ms.us/Books/D/Dylan-in-Cincinnati
Shadow Chasing:
[1] https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/literature/2016/dylan/lecture/
