Bob Dylan, The Beatles, and ‘Where the Music Had to Go'

Tues., Nov. 17, 12 p.m. ET

Jim Windolf ’86, a New York Times journalist with decades of reporting and editing experience, is fascinated by what he calls the “reciprocal influence” that exists between two of the greatest musical artists of all time: Bob Dylan and the Beatles. He is interested in the interactions and connections between the legendary musicians, but felt that the story of their mutual impact was incomplete. Jim’s desire to fill in the gaps led him to write Where the Music Had to Go: How Bob Dylan and the Beatles Changed Each Other ― and the World (Scribner, 2026), a meticulously researched account of the myriad encounters between Dylan and the Beatles and a wealth of parallels between the artists’ journeys and discographies. Brad Auerbach ’79, who wrote a glowing review of Jim’s book for the music publication bestclassicbands.com, will moderate a Q&A with Jim about his work. Brad has been a passionate advocate for journalism ever since his weekly arts column in The Spectator. He has subsequently written for Time Out magazine (London), covered the Los Angeles Olympics for The Village Voice, and contributed to Forbes and a handful of other publications. Join us for a discussion of the book that Salon called “Exquisite … With nuance and eagle-eyed research, Windolf affords readers an unprecedented look at the mechanics of a musical fusion that, in many ways, we are just beginning to understand.”