Bob Dylan enthusiasts and novices alike were offered a unique opportunity to study the songs by the recipient of the 2016 Nobel Prize for Literature. The writing course, "Visions of Dylan", was taught by Anthony DeCurtis at Kelly Writers House in the spring of 2017. DeCurtis is a distinguished lecturer in the Department of English and has been a contributing editor at Rolling Stone magazine for almost 30 years. In addition to writing criticism, students were encouraged to present their own creative work based on their study of Dylan. Presentations ranged in style and disciplines and included original songs (folk and hip-hop); a literature review of Dylan's book of experimental pose poetry, Tarantula; a computer algorithm that produced Dylan songs; and an art critique of Dylan's paintings and album covers.
DeCurtis has been a lecturer at Penn since 2002 and described the class as, "the most exciting teaching experience I've ever had."
Related Stories
Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations Department Renamed Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures
The new name better represents the scope of research and teaching by the department.
Welcoming the Class of 2028
The newest College students received a festive welcome during this year’s New Student Orientation in August.
Students of the Occult
In a class this semester, Becky Friedman, C’10, Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Department of English, leads students down the dark, historical spiral of witchcraft, examining its persecutorial past and transition to palatable and raucous entertainment.