New Perspectives on Bob Dylan (NeMLA 2026)

Deadline for abstract submission: September 30 2025

Due to the thematic complexity, sociopolitical relevance, and incessantly experimental nature of Bob Dylan’s artistry, the act of interpreting or contextualizing his creative works and practices demands a radical commitment to interdisciplinarity, a willingness to engage with contemporary or otherwise heterodox critical developments, and a methodological adventurousness that echoes Dylan’s subversive relationship to tradition and history. Within the still-developing realm of Bob Dylan studies, however, there has been a marked disregard for such approaches, with many scholars adopting the role of postcritical gatekeeper bent on discouraging theoretical perspectives and critical methodologies that question the sanctity of liberal universalism or threaten the hegemony of Dylan’s notoriously zealous fan base. As a result, recent critical developments related to the study of American history, literary theory, musicology, and other relevant fields are uncommonly applied to Dylan’s artistry, interdisciplinary approaches are rare, and Dylan’s compositions are routinely examined within reductive biographical contexts or in relation to outdated theoretical or political concepts. This panel seeks papers that employ progressive or otherwise heterodox critical approaches with regard to the cultural origins, political history, and creative nature of any aspect of Dylan’s artistry, or which critique the practices and presumptions predominate among Dylan scholars. Our goal is to update and redirect the critical discourse regarding Dylan’s artistry, and to encourage Dylan scholars to embrace the same spirit of perpetual renewal and “(re)generation” found within Dylan’s canon.

The panel will be in-person only. The NeMLA Portal link can be found here: https://cfplist.com/nemla/Home/S/21667

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions, and best wishes!