Arriving in New York City in 1961, Bob Dylan joined a vibrant American folk music scene. He used his unique poetic style to refashion traditional songs and set them in a modern context, established a path for the rise of the singer-song writer, and came to represent the civil rights movement. However, by 1963 his music took him in unexpected directions to the disappointment of many of his fans. The course will examine the social, political, and literary influences on his music and consider why he was labeled the “conscience of his generation.”