We are sitting in the front of the classroom again, this time hunkering down with the classical roots, poetic influences, and many odysseys of The Odyssey in the music and vision of Bob Dylan with Richard Thomas of Harvard University. Author of the award-winning book Why Dylan Matters, Thomas finds the deep influence of the poetic geniuses of the ages in Dylan's work, and we're here to find out why and how this matters.

This show is part of Pantheon Podcasts.

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Every musical artist comes up against a few musical mountains to climb. Perhaps the highest, good tidingest mountain of them all is the Christmas album. Elvis did one. Bing Crosby and the Jackson Five too. And so did Bob Dylan, 2009’s Christmas in the Heart. “Must Be Santa” was the single. Now what exactly was that all about?

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We're facing the December dilemma. What should we give Bob Dylan for the holidays — and what did he give us? Join both Elvis and Dylan singing the most popular Jewish song of all time, unwrap some of the identities that shape the season, and find out if it really must be Santa after all. It's that time of year again, kids: our holiday specialette, part one.

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Bob Dylan is joined by Warren Zevon, Lenny Bruce, Dylan Thomas, Dante, Ma Rainey, and Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead on a journey from Minnesota Nice beyond death's sting to the place where music never dies.

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Painter, poet, teacher, prophet, scribe. Who taught Bob Dylan his artistry and purpose? Dylan is not only one of our greatest teachers. He's also a student at the top of the class where tradition is taught, anchoring the world in the past while compelling time and purpose forward. We make room for Woody Guthrie, King Solomon, the Green Violinist, Johanna and her visions, Moby Dick, and many more as we head back to school with Bob Dylan.

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Maybe love is just a four letter word, but once you really spell it out, it still contains multitudes. We’re talking about love and only love that can’t be denied. We’re talking about finding someone who gives you all of the love. And — we’re sick of love. But not really. We’ve made up our minds to give Bob Dylan's love songs to you.

This show is part of Pantheon Podcasts.

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Dylan says to live outside the law, you must be honest. But standing in line, waiting for your number to come up. Man, there's got to be a better way. Follow Dylan's journey of pawns, Joneses, messiahs, jokers, and dreams with good friends Warren Zevon, Orson Welles, Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, our very special guest Franz Kafka.

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We're exploring history, artistry, philosophy, literature, pop culture, and religion woven through a deep listen to Bob Dylan’s music. Join us for a different theme each episode as well as conversations with thinkers and culture makers talking about God, the universe, and everything in the Age of Dylan.

For more than half a century trying to understand Bob Dylan’s songs has been like unfolding the crisscrossing lines of a map of world. We’re going to take a shot at reading those maps, particularly in a moment where the world we thought we knew seems like uncharted territory. 

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