A COMPLETE UNKNOWN: The Artist As Historical Witness (Ep. 65)

Historical Drama with The Boston Sisters

In part two of our conversation about A COMPLETE UNKNOWN, The Boston Sisters (Michon and Taquiena) talk with award winning poet, literary activist and author E. Ethelbert Miller about bringing Bob Dylan's writing into the classroom, and the artist as a witness to history.

A COMPLETE UKNOWN is the recent Academy Award-nominated biopic about musician, songwriter Bob Dylan, based on the book by Elijah Wald “Dylan Goes Electric: Newport, Seeger, Dylan, And The Night That Split The Sixties.” Directed by James Mangold, who co wrote the screenplay with Jay Cox, A COMPLETE UNKNOWN, is set against the backdrop of a time of dramatic social, cultural and political change (1961-1965) as a vibrant music scene is happening in New York City. Nineteen-year-old Bob Dylan, portrayed by Timothée Chalamet, arrives in New York from Minnesota with his guitar and revolutionary talent, destined to change the course of American music.

Episode 65 is part 2 of a 2-part conversation about A COMPLETE UNKNOWN with E. Ethelbert Miller. Go to this link for Episode 64 (part 1). https://open.spotify.com/episode/3uEnTCokzxIzx0CDWuYeuI?si=0a633d46a8ea4727

SPOILER ALERT - There is some detailed discussion about key moments in the film

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Podcast open, synopsis and historical timeline for the film A COMPLETE UNKNOWN 02:54 - E. Ethelbert Miller’s introduction + Spoiler alert

4:39 - The Role of Artists in Social and Political Movements

10:35 - Teaching Memoir Writing with Bob Dylan’s Memoir

16:00 - The Impact of Historical Events on Artists and Writers

19:16 - The importance of artists absorbing collective hurt and providing resilience through their work (mentions: Woody Guthrie, Ma Rainey, August Wilson)

19:38 - The Importance of Understanding Historical Context

23:12 - Artists shaping legacies - Ossie Davis’s Eulogy for Malcolm X

44:32 - Final Thoughts and Book Recommendations

Enjoy our PLAYLIST for this podcast, "⁠Bob Dylan: Known and Unknown,⁠" on Spotify.

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