Belfast Senior College

IN-PERSON & REMOTE VIA ZOOM

This course is actually a compilation of two previously taught courses, War, Protest and Music which was taught only on zoom and Bob Dylan and The Path to The Nobel Prize for Literature - taught on Zoom and In-Person. Today with so much happening with respect to actual war and talk of war throughout the world, we thought the timing might be very appropriate to revisit these topics. And of course the recent passing of David Crosby of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young reminds us of the tremendous music and talent that the middle of the 20th century produced. We will look at some of the events and divisions of the 1950s, 60s and 70s (Vietnam, Civil Rights, social injustice) and how those events inspired a generation. So this course will have plenty of music! The first three classes will concentrate on protest events and protest music in general. The last three classes will examine the person who many feel was the number one writer and performer of protest music in the 1960s - Bob Dylan. A complex person with incredible talent, who intrigues us not only with his music, but the fact that he claims none of his songs are protest songs. Lastly we can not study Bob Dylan without thoroughly dissecting whether he deserved a Nobel Prize for Literature.

Pete Reilly holds BS & MBA degrees from Monmouth University. He has taught at Senior College for over 10 years.