Seth Rogovoy's Blog, page 8

"fascinating…" – Jewish Week

Writer Jonathan Mark calls Bob Dylan: Prophet Mystic Poet "fascinating" in his review in Jewish Week.

WAMC's Joe Donahue interviews Seth Rogovoy about 'BOB DYLAN: Prophet, Mystic, Poet'

Last Friday, December 11, 2009, Joe Donahue — the host of WAMC Northeast Public Radio's morning talk show, "The Roundtable" — had me over for a chat about BOB DYLAN: Prophet Mystic Poet. As anyone knows who listens regularly to Joe and "The Roundtable," he is an astute, intelligent, and fun interviewer. For many years I was a weekly guest on "The Roundtable" (I'm now on WAMC every Friday during "Midday Magazine"), so Joe and I have a built-in rapport. But still, Joe really blew me away with h...

John Wesley Harding: "The First Biblical Rock Album"

Here's a clip from "Bob Dylan's Mystical Midrash," my multimedia show, filmed at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center in Great Barrington, Mass., on Sat Dec. 12, 2009. This clip focuses on my exploration of how Bob Dylan drew on the Bible and the Prophets in writing songs for John Wesley Harding" to create what he himself called 'the first Biblical rock album." Clip includes a performance of "All Along the Watchtower" by the author/singer-guitarist.

"Really very cool. Rogovoy is an engaging writer." – Bottle of Bread

Posted by "Bottle of Bread" to the Expecting Rain discussion list:

I'm reading Bob Dylan: Prophet, Mystic, Poet (by Seth Rogovoy) and it's a treat. The analysis is from a decidedly Jewish perspective, going in-depth to the Judaic roots and connection to the lyrics. Really very cool. Rogovoy is an engaging writer.

Radio interview @ WLIU FM

December 15, 20099:15 amto9:45 am

WLIU 88.3 FM Long Island Public Radio Network

In the Morning with Bonnie Grice

Radio interview @ WBRK Pittsfield

December 14, 200911:00 amto11:30 am

WBRK 1340 AM

Talk Berkshires Midday with Bill Sturgeon

"Rogovoy skillfully sketches original examples of how biblical curiosity and interpretive depth animate the songs … a delightful read" – The Forward

Stephen Hazan Arnoff, the executive director of the 14th Street Y in New York City, home of LABA: The National Laboratory for New Jewish Culture, adds his voice to the growing chorus of critical acclaim for BOB DYLAN: Prophet, Mystic, Poet with his review in this week's FORWARD.

In "Jeremiah, Nostradamus and Allen Ginsberg all Rolled Up Into One," Arnoff puts Seth Rogovoy in the company of such renowned Dylan chroniclers as Greil Marcus, Christopher Ricks, and Steven Heine:

"In choosing a...

'You don't have to be Jewish to be fascinated by Bob Dylan: Prophet, Mystic, Poet, but you need to believe…' – Rural Intelligence

Dan Shaw of Rural Intelligence conducted an interview with me over a wonderful dinner at Café Adam in Great Barrington, last week, and the resulting article, 'Seth Rogovoy Sees Dylan's Jewish Spirit Blowin' in the Wind,' is almost as good as the meal (that's no reflection on Dan — that's high praise for Adam Zieminski's cuisine).

Among Dan's observations are that "You don't have to be Jewish to be fascinated by Bob Dylan: Prophet, Mystic, Poet, but you need to believe, as Rogovoy assuredly...

"Dylan fans, after reading this book, may not be able listen to him again with the same ears." – Berkshire Eagle

In today's Berkshire Eagle,  reviewer Michael J. Foster has this to say about BOB DYLAN: Prophet, Mystic, Poet:

Rogovoy does a remarkably thorough job of detailing Dylan's personal and professional life to support his claims that the artist's music is rooted in his Jewish heritage.

Rogovoy offers a rich description of Dylan's youth in a Jewish family in Minnesota. This early chapter of the icon's life — when he was known as Robert Zimmerman — tells of Jewish youth camps, study of Scripture and...

Why Don't I Want to Meet Bob Dylan?

I am often asked if I've met Bob Dylan, or did I interview him for my book.

The answer to both questions is not only no – the answer, my friend, is I don't really want to meet Bob Dylan.

I will explain later, in more detail, why I feel this way. But I just came across a great quotation from Margaret Atwood that almost totally summarizes my feelings:

"Wanting to know an author because you like her work is like wanting to know a duck because you like paté." – Margaret Atwood