Infinity Goes Up On Trial

Since Robert Shelton’s New York Times review of Bob Dylan was published almost exactly 63 years ago, on September 29, 1961, Dylan has been the subject of intense critical focus. Journalists, academics, and fans have created an expansive catalog chronicling the minutiae of Dylan’s seven-decades in the public sphere. From studio releases and live performances, through books and films, to personal relationships and shifts in identity, every aspect of Dylan’s life and career has been scrutinized to gain a greater understanding of his oeuvre. In this episode, journalist and podcaster, Harold Lepidus, and I further expand the catalog as we discuss Dylan through the lens of Harold’s work, his fandom, and the expectations the sustained focus has created, and how Dylan has defied them. 

Harold Lepidus is the author of Friends and Other Strangers - Bob Dylan Examined, an anthology of writings from the Bob Dylan online column he wrote for Examiner.com. He is a prolific content creator across his social media platforms, sharing his experience and insight on Dylan, the Beatles, Robyn Hitchcock, and music more broadly. His most recent review is VIETNAM, WATERGATE, AND THE ART OF MOTORCYCLE MAINTENANCE: Bob Dylan/The Band - The 1974 Live Recordings (Linked below).

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From the beginning of his career, critics, scholars, and fans have attempted to define Bob Dylan’s identity. Countless interviews and biographies and even Dylan’s 2004 memoir Chronicles: Volume One include myths, half-truths, and obfuscations, leading to lingering questions. These questions are compounded by the public’s perception of him and public images of Dylan used to serve a particular agenda – most often associated with his early protest period. Indeed, public and historic figures’ identities have oft been altered, distilled, diluted, or corrupted through their representations in popular culture.  In this episode, Court Carney and I discuss his forthcoming book on Confederate general Nathan Bedford Forrest, identity construction and public memory, and how Bob Dylan’s identity has been constructed throughout his career.

Court is a cultural historian who writes on public memory. He is a full professor of history at Stephen F. Austin University where he teaches courses on Black history and American cultural history. He is the author of Cuttin Up: How Early Jazz Got America’s Ear and Reckoning with the Devil: Nathan Bedford Forrest in Myth and Memory will be released on September 17, 2024. He is the co-editor of The Politics and Power of Bob Dylan’s Live Performances, a collection of essayson Bob Dylan’s setlists and a forthcoming collection of essays reconsidering Dylan’s work in the 1980s.

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Bob Dylan, like the Grateful Dead, has a loyal and dedicated fanbase who follow his tours, exchange bootleg recordings, and analyze his lyrics and music. Called “Bobcats,” “Bobheads,” or “Dylanologists,” these Dylan fans have created a unique and supportive worldwide community who stay connected through various networks, meet up at shows, and share their love and appreciation for the art Dylan has created. In 2014, David Kinney chronicled the history and stories of some of the most passionate fans in his book The Dylanologists. In this episode, Dr. Elizabeth Cantalamassa, professor, scholar, and Dylan fan, talks about her work and her experiences on tour with Dylan.

Elizabeth is a philosopher whose research focuses on the intersection of social philosophy, philosophy of language, and value theory. She is an Emerging Scholar with the Mark Twain Circle of America and was a Quarry Farm Fellow with the Center for Mark Twain Studies. Elizabeth has written and presented on Dylan, Taylor Swift, aesthetic vocabulary and disagreement, democratic deliberation, and copyright law. In August 2024, she will begin her tenure as an assistant professor in the philosophy department at St. Bonaventure University.

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On May 23 and 24th, scholars gathered in Odense, Denmark to discuss Dylan’s gender performance at the Bob Dylan: Questions on Masculinity Conference. The keynotes included Anne-Marie Mai, Laura Tenschert, Sean Latham. Court Carney, and me. Other scholars including, Rebecca Slaman, Graley Herren, Paul Haney, and Andrew Ferhibach shared their research and insights on Dylan’s performance of masculinity and gender performance. In this episode, Court and I recap the conference, discussing the presentations, the event, and all the wonderful things we experienced.

Court is a cultural historian who writes on public memory. He is a full professor of history at Stephen F. Austin University where he teaches courses on Black history and American cultural history. He is the author of Cuttin Up: How Early Jazz Got America’s Ear and Reckoning with the Devil: Nathan Bedford Forrest in Myth and Memory will be released in September 2024. He is the co-editor of The Politics and Power of Bob Dylan’s Live Performances, a collection of essays on Bob Dylan’s setlists and a forthcoming collection of essays reconsidering Dylan’s work in the 1980s.

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Bob Dylan’s fluid and mercurial shifts in identity performance are a hallmark of his career. A closer investigation of his gender identity performance contextualizes how he conforms to and rebels against traditional constructs of masculinity. In this episode, Laura Tenschert, talented musician and creator and host of the Definitely Dylan podcast, discusses the essay on Dylan and heroes’ journeys she was preparing to present at the Bob Dylan: Questions on Masculinity conference in Odense, Denmark and themes of Dylan’s gender identity and performance in his life and work.

Definitely Dylan, her podcast about Dylan's work and the creative process, has established Laura as a leading voice in Dylan studies, as the episodes take the listener down various fascinating Dylan rabbit holes. Laura also serves on the boards of the Institute of Bob Dylan Studies at the University of Tulsa and the Dylan Review.

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Bob Dylan’s conversion to Christianity and his subsequent Gospel albums have long delighted and puzzled his fans. However, the themes he explored through a theological lens can be found in his earliest compositions. In this episode, Celucien L. Joseph, Ph.D., theologian, literary scholar, and chair of the English department at San Jacinto College, discusses his current work on Christianity, Vodou, and Secularism, and his thoughts on themes of justice, redemption, and grace in Dylan’s work.

Dr. Joseph earned his B.A. from The Baptist College of Florida. He holds an M.A. in French language and literature from the University of Louisville (Louisville, KY). In addition, he holds an Advanced Master of Divinity (M.Div) in Biblical and Theological Studies, from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (Louisville, KY), and a Master of Theology (Th.M.) in New Testament, from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (Fort Worth, TX). He received his Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) from the University of Texas at Dallas (Richardson, TX), where he studied Literary Studies with an emphasis in African American Intellectual History, Caribbean Culture and Literature, and African American Literature. Professor Joseph’s second Ph.D. in Systematic Theology and Christian Ethics is from the University of Pretoria (Pretoria, South Africa). He has done additional studies in Religious Studies and the Humanities at the University of Louisville. A prolific scholar and writer, Dr. Joseph has published over three-dozen articles and over a dozen books that have advanced scholarship on Christianity and Vodou. He continues to be a leading voice in the field.

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The emotions and ideas in Bob Dylan’s work have an expansive reach that extends beyond his fan base. We see threads of these in myriad aspects of our lives. In this episode, Jason Nodler, Founding Artistic Director of The Catastrophic Theatre, discusses how Dylan’s focus on feeling has influenced his approach to writing and directing. He also shares the values he learned from Dylan’s work and how they’ve influenced him throughout his life.

Jason has directed more than 50 productions in Houston, Austin, Atlanta, Providence, Pittsburgh, and New York. His original plays include Bluefinger: The Fall and Rise of Herman Brood, Life is Happy and Sad, Speeding Motorcycle, Meatbar, King Ubu is King, and In the Under Thunderloo.  He was recently awarded the Best Director Award for 4:48 Psychosis by  The Houston Press, is a NEA/MacDowell Colony fellow, a four-time MAP Fund grantee, and a recipient of an individual artist grant from Creative Capital. He is currently co-directing Sarah Kane’s Cleansed.

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“Infinity Goes Up on Trial” focuses on ideas central to the depth of Bob Dylan’s music, art, and writing in a broader social, cultural, and political context. Discussing these concepts with scholars, artists, educators, activists, and myriad experts, we explore how Dylan’s ideas reflect and encompass all aspects of human existence.  

With Host Erin Callahan | Launching April 1, 2024

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