Bob Dylan has helped transform music, literature, pop culture, and even politics. The World of Bob Dylan chronicles a lifetime of creative invention that has made a global impact. Leading rock and pop critics and music scholars address themes and topics central to Dylan's life and work: the Blues, his religious faith, Civil Rights, Gender, Race, and American and World literature. Incorporating a rich array of new archival material from never before accessed archives, The World of Bob Dylan offers a comprehensive, uniquely informed and wholly fresh account of the songwriter, artist, filmmaker, and Nobel Laureate whose unique voice has permanently reshaped our cultural landscape. - Provides and accessibly written and diverse collection of essays on all aspects of Dylan's art, career, context, and legacy - Features 27 essays on a wide array of carefully designed and fully integrated topics - Essays bring new insight to Dylan while setting out the key issues that will define work on Dylan for the next decade and beyond Table of Contents Introduction Sean Latham I. Creative Life: 1. A Chronology of Bob Dylan's Life Kevin Dettmar and Sean Latham 2. The Biographies Andrew Muir 3. Songwriting Sean Latham 4. The Singles: A Playlist for Framing Dylan's Recording Art Keith Negus II. Musical Contexts: 5. Folk Music Ronald D. Cohen 6. The Blues: 'Kill Everybody Ever Done Me Wrong' Greil Marcus 7. Gospel Music Gayle Wald 8. Country Music: Dylan, Cash, and the Projection of Authenticity Leigh H. Edwards 9. Rock Music Ira Wells 10. Roots Music: Born in a Basement Kim Ruehl 11. The Great American Songbook: 'Better Duck Down the [Tin Pan] Alley Way, Lookin' for a New Friend' Larry Starr III. Cultural Contexts: 12. American Literature Florence Dore 13. World Literature Anne-Marie Mai 14. The Beats Steven Belletto 15. Theatre Damian A. Carpenter 16. Visual Arts: Goya's Kiss Raphael Falco 17. Borrowing Kevin Dettmar 18. Judaism: Saturnine Melancholy and Dylan's Jewish Gnosis Elliot R. Wolfson 19. Christianity: An Exegesis of Modern Times Andrew McCarron IV. Political Contexts: 20. The Civil Rights Movement Will Kaufman 21. The Counterculture Michael J. Kramer 22. Gender and Sexuality: Bob Dylan's Body Ann Powers 23. Justice Lisa O'Neill-Sanders V. Reception and Legacy: 24. The Bob Dylan Brand Devon Powers 25. The Nobel Prize: The Dramaturgy of Consecration James F. English 26. Stardom and Fandom David R. Shumway 27. The Bob Dylan Archive® Mark Davidson.