Events Calendar

Twenty Pounds of Headlines: The Stories That Inspired Bob Dylan’s Writing

Tuesday, October 9

6:30 pm

Location: Shorewood Village Center

Sonia Khatchadourian will explore how real-life events and news headlines inspired some of Bob Dylan’s song lyrics, particularly in his youth. Although Bob Dylan’s songs have addressed a variety of themes, Dylan carried on the troubadour tradition by writing topical songs that became news themselves.  Brief historical references to real life events will be connected to the themes of certain songs that Bob Dylan wrote, such as “Only A Pawn in Their Game,” about the assassination of Civil Rights Activist Medgar Evans.

ABOUT SONIA KHATCHADOURIAN

Sonia Khatchadourian, a Senior Lecturer at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's English Department, has taught at the university-level for 34 years. She has a background in Creative Writing and Literature, and has taught a variety of courses, including the Art of Poetry related to Bob Dylan's lyrics as poetry, and the Art of Fiction, which focused on the work of American writer, Raymond Carver. Khatchadourian currently teaches courses in the Professional Writing Program that include Health Science Writing, Business Writing, Technical Writing, and Global Business Communications.

Khatchadourian has taught semester-long courses on Blues Music as Cultural Studies at Justus Liebig Universität in Giessen, Germany and at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee as well as fifteen different courses on Blues music through the UW-Milwaukee School of Continuing Education. As a freelance writer, she has written numerous articles related to music, and has her own radio program on Friday afternoons from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. on WMSE, 91.7 FM.