Definitely Dylan

In this episode I talk to Chicago-based filmmaker, author, and college professor Michael Glover Smith about Bob Dylan the filmmaker, specifically his work on Eat the Document (1972), Renaldo & Clara (1978), and Masked & Anonymous (2003).

Michael’s new book Bob Dylan as Filmmaker: No Time to Think is published by McNidder & Grace on 2nd of March. If you’re in the Chicago area and interested in attending the book launch and screening of Masked & Anonymous on 35mm, you can get your tickets here. 

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Being a Bob Dylan fan is a spectrum –whether you identify as a casual enjoyer if his music or a die-hard Bobcat, the umbrella is large and leaves room for multitudes. 

Over the past year, many Definitely Dylan episodes have circled around the relationship between artist and audience, how Bob Dylan presents himself and how he is perceived. In the final conversation of 2025 (which you’re hearing in early 2026), we’re approaching this topic from a new angle.

My guest is Elizabeth Cantalamessa, an honest to god philosopher and one of the most fun people you can run into at a Bob Dylan show. We talk about Bob Dylan as the villain and trickster, selling out, and art as spiritual labour.

You can download the C. Thi Nguyen essay “Trust and Sincerity in Art” here.

Tiny correction:
The “Is there anything more American than America” wasn’t a Cadillac but a Chrysler commercial (watch it here). And btw, I’m burying this in the show notes because I’m not sure, but since we’re mentioning Lucy Sante at some point in this episode, I wanted to add that in her preface to Six Sermons for Bob Dylan (the book of sermons she wrote for the Trouble No More film), she mentions that she wrote a “Buick commercial” for him. As far as I’m aware, Dylan has never done a Buick commercial, unless you count the song “From a Buick 6”, so I’m wondering if she was maybe referring to this Chrysler commercial.

Bob Dylan and Santana - Toy Guns clip

Bob Dylan and Neil Young - “More of the same”

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Theme music by Robert Chaney

Recently the founder of The Daily Dylan was asked to leave a Bob Dylan concert, apparently for having shared illegally recorded concert videos.

Today we’re talking about the relationship between Bob Dylan and his fans, particularly their ideas of how his music should be engaged with are at odds with the artist’s own.

Find more Rebecca Slaman on her Substack and Twitter. Book a Walking Tour of Bob Dylan’s NYC with Ramblin’ Tours and follow them on Instagram.

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You can support Definitely Dylan on Patreon or with a one-off donation at buymeacoffee.com/definitelydylan.

Bob Dylan – the myth, the legend, the enigma? In this episode I revisit an old radio episode on Bob Dylan the Stranger.

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Just over a week after I published a whole episode about how Bob Dylan doesn’t want to be filmed or photographed, he appeared as part of the 40th Farm Aid benefit concert, which was broadcast and live streamed, giving us rare good quality footage of a present day Bob Dylan set!

I invited friends of the pod Rebecca Slaman and Britt Eisnor to discuss the occasion with me. The discussion of the actual Farm Aid set begins at 31:07.

Follow Rebecca on Twitter and Substack, and Britt on Instagram, Twitter or Substack.

Watch Bob Dylan’s set at Farm Aid here.

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You can support Definitely Dylan on Patreon or with a one-off donation at buymeacoffee.com/definitelydylan.

At the most recent Outlaw shows, Bob Dylan has been shielding himself from view and it’s become a pretty popular talking point last week. I’ve been thinking about that as well as the upcoming Bootleg Series, filtered it through a 90 year old essay on art and technology and this is the result. 🧡

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An episode about twins, doubles & duality from the radio archives.

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Legend has it that Bob Dylan once left his iPod behind and someone copied the contents.

With Canadian musician and songwriter (and future Bob Dylan podcaster) Tim Swaddling).

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Fred Bals’ blog on Medium

Songs in this episode:

“Let Me Play With Your Poodle” - Hank Penny (Theme Time Radio Hour ep. Thanksgiving Leftovers. CORRECTION: Bob actually played the version by Tampa Red & Big Maceo, but he played several other songs by Hank Penny on the show)

“Smoking in the Boys Room” - Brownsville Station (Theme Time Radio Hour ep. Smoking)

“Mansion on the Hill” - Vernon Oxford

“You Hit Me Like an Atomic Bomb” - Fay Simmons

“Jumping at the Record Shop” - Slim Gaillard

“Whatcha Gonna Do” - George Jones

“It’s a Great, Great Pleasure” - Louis Jordan

“Dragnet For Jesus” - Sister Wynona Carr

“When I Stop Dreaming” - Louvin Brothers

“Killer Joe” - Toots Thielman

Laura revisits a radio episode from the archives about April anniversaries, some good, many disastrous. And there’s a little side quest about Bob Dylan and Modernist poetry.

One note – I forgot to mention that the performance of “Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most” is by Betty Carter.

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Laura is joined by Britt and Rebecca to talk about A Complete Unknown, the new Bob Dylan biopic directed by James Mangold, starring Timothée Chalamet, Edward Norton, Elle Fanning, and Monica Barbaro. 

We talk about letting go of the pressure to be chill about the film, biopics as acts of translation, and the sexual tension between Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash.

Rebecca would like to add that she realised that it was Al Kooper and not Bobby Neuwirth who put on Bob’s “clown shirt” at Newport.

You can watch our conversation here.

Follow Rebecca on Twitter and Britt on Instagram or Twitter.

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You can buy Rebecca’s “Twink” shirt here.

Theme music by Robert Chaney

You can support Definitely Dylan on Patreon or with a one-off donation at buymeacoffee.com/definitelydylan.