The rollout of our keynote speakers for the World of Bob Dylan 2023 continues with news that we’ll be joined this year by Cass Sunstein, the Robert Walmsley University Professor at Harvard. He is the founder and director of the Program on Behavioral Economics and Public Policy at Harvard Law School and, in 2018, received the Holberg Prize from the government of Norway, sometimes described as the equivalent of the Nobel Prize for law and the humanities.
Professor Sunstein’s wide-ranging work integrates theories from law, economics, and social science to explore all aspects of culture and politics, from the First Amendment to conspiracy theories, and even Star Wars. He has consistently incorporated rock music into his analyses of popular culture and has recently begun exploring the surprising patterns that create “cascades”–those tipping-point moments when disparate social forces intersect to transform a musician, artist, or writer into a global star.
His keynote address on June 2, ““Museums Are Vulgar: Bob Dylan and Dishabituation,” will explore the cultural and historical processes that transformed Dylan from a niche folksinger with an unusual voice into an international star and Nobel Laureate. Additional keynote sessions will feature Greil Marcus, Jessica Hopper, Margo Price and more.
Register now to join us for this talk as well as dozens of other sessions featuring keynotes, artist conversations, roundtable discussions, musical performances, and much more. Conference events will be held at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Tulsa, which has made a special rate available for conference attendees.