Rebecca Slaiman Speaks at World of Dylan 2023 Symposium - Come Writers and Critics

 In 2021 during the COVID pandemic, an online Bob Dylan Symposium was celebrating his 80th birthday.  Two years ago, it would have been impossible to hold a large in-person meeting.  Since the pandemic is over (COVID is still out there) the wonderful people at the University of Tulsa decided to have an in-person conference.  I hoped it would be a hybrid conference but it was not.  My friend Sal who teaches at NYU said this conference was more academic than the 2019 conference that I attended.

Rebecca Slaiman, an enthusiastic Dylan fan in her twenties, presented a talk about people who criticized Dylan over the years.  Certainly, Dylan fandom has transcended the generations.  Apparently, someone in the audience video-recorded her talk and uploaded it to YouTube.

The World of Bob Dylan 2023 Starts Today in Tulsa but I'm Not There

 

This conference will undoubtedly offer an excellent exchange of interpretations of Bob Dylan's works over the last 60 years.  I attended the first conference in 2019 which was in person and the 2021 virtual version.  Last year I traveled to Tulsa to see the Bob Dylan Center.

I decided to take a pass at this year's conference.  I enjoyed the 2019 meeting, but I felt it was too academic for me.  I regard myself as an avid fan, but not a scholar.  There will be many reports on social media of what transpires there.  Several of my Dylan friends including Sal, Danny, and Phil will be there and will discuss it at our next Google Meeting.

I expect that several years from now I will return to Tulsa to see the Bob Dylan Center again as museums change with time.

Is Mike Casiano Baseball's Biggest Fan?

 

Mike Casiano at Guaranteed Rate Field

In February 2018 I wrote about the passing of Fuzzy who was New York's greatest sports fan as he likely attended over 10,000 baseball, basketball, and hockey games.  Fuzzy would sit with his crew of diehards in the upper deck of Shea Stadium behind home plate.  One of the diehards is Mike Casiano seen above who regularly sits in Section 515 of Citi Field behind home plate.  Whenever a Met pitcher registers a strikeout he yells out at the top of his lungs "He struck him out."

I read in his Twitter feed (@KingcougarMike) that he just attended his 8,200th baseball game and his making a quest to be at 10,000 games in his lifetime.  I am certain that he attends all 81 games each year at Citi Field, but he also makes road trips to other stadiums.

I am not acquainted with Mike, but perhaps he knows by sight since he often passes by my seat in section 516.  When Mike hits 10,000 games there should be a seat in Citi Field named in his honor.

Four Terrific Female Bob Dylan Fans

In no particular order:

• Nancy Cobb - I had the pleasure of meeting her at a luncheon during Bob Dylan's residency at the Beacon Theater in November 2019.  She visited Duluth during Dylan's birthday celebration and from there visited Hibbing.  She is now on her way to Tulsa for the World of Bob Dylan 2023.
• SueMyAss - that is her Twitter handle.  I don't know her real name.  She is planning to go to every Dylan concert in June in Portugal, Spain, France and Italy
• Laura Tenschert- She has a podcast called Definitely Dylan and has spoken at several conferences.  She posts regularly on Instagram and Twitter about her favorite singer-songwriter
• Anne Margaret Daniel  - a professor at the New School for Social Research in NYC.  She teaches a course about Dylan there and has spoken at academic conferences about him.

 

It Ain't Me Babe - What Version is Your Favorite -Turtles, Johnny Cash or Bob Dylan?

 

I'm so Tired - Beatles Song of the Day

 

You can get tired by sitting and waiting.

For Bob Dylan's 82nd Birthday I am Playing Dear Landlord

 

Sometimes one must take Dylan's lyrics out of context to find words of personal significance

Please don’t put a price on my soul

My burden is heavy

My dreams are beyond control

When that steamboat whistle blows

I’m gonna give you all I got to give

And I do hope you receive it well

Dependin’ on the way you feel that you live

Dear landlord

Please heed these words that I speak

I know you’ve suffered much

But in this you are not so unique

All of us, at times, we might work too hard

To have it too fast and too much

And anyone can fill his life up

With things he can see but he just cannot touch

Dear landlord

Please don’t dismiss my case

I’m not about to argue

I’m not about to move to no other place

Now, each of us has his own special gift

And you know this was meant to be true

And if you don’t underestimate me

I won’t underestimate you

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