CORVALLIS, Ore. – “Bob Dylan and 1960s America: A conversation with historian Sean Wilentz” will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 13, in the LaSells Stewart Center at Oregon State University in Corvallis.

Wilentz is the George Henry Davis 1886 Professor of American History at Princeton University, where he has taught since 1979. His writings on music have focused on folk traditions and contemporary rock and roll, especially the work of Dylan. 

His liner notes for Dylan’s album, “The Bootleg Series, Volume 6, Bob Dylan Live, 1964: Concert at Philharmonic Hall,” received a Grammy nomination and an ASCAP-Deems Taylor Award for musical commentary. 

Wilentz has written liner notes for other notable reissues, including the full Carnegie Hall concert of the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem, recorded in 1963. He is also the co-editor, with Greil Marcus, of “The Rose & the Briar: Death, Love and Liberty in the American Ballad.” Since 2001, he has served as historian-in-residence at Dylan’s official website, www.bobdylan.com. He also wrote the book “Bob Dylan in America,” which was published in 2010.

Wilentz’s historical scholarship has concentrated on the political and social history of the United States from the American Revolution to recent times. 

Wilentz’s appearance is part of the College of Liberal Arts’ new series, “The 60s: The Decade that Changed America.” The series celebrates the cultural and artistic impact the 1960s have had on the past five decades of American life. The series was created by OSU’s director of popular music and performing arts, Bob Santelli, who is also a journalist and historian.

The talk is free and open to the public. The LaSells Stewart Center is located at 875 SW 26th St., Corvallis. For additional information about the series visit: https://liberalarts.oregonstate.edu/60s-decade-changed-america.

College of Liberal Arts

About the OSU College of Liberal Arts: The College of Liberal Arts encompasses seven distinct schools, as well as several interdisciplinary initiatives, that focus on humanities, social sciences, and fine and performing arts. Curriculum developed by the college’s nationally and internationally-renowned faculty prepares students to approach the complex problems of the world ethically and thoughtfully, contributing to a student's academic foundation and helping to build real-world skills for a 21st century career and a purposeful life.

Story By: 

Celene Carillo, [email protected], 541-737-2137

Source: 

Bob Santelli, [email protected], 541-737-1797

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