Rock and Roll

The Rock and Roll suite contains two poems about the power of music to challenge expectations, cross generations, and turn the volume up on change.

“When Dylan Went Electric”
A dramatic retelling of Bob Dylan’s controversial 1965 appearance at the Newport Folk Festival, when his decision to perform with an electric band stunned folk traditionalists. The poem captures the anger, confusion, and excitement of a moment when one artist’s willingness to evolve came to symbolize the collision between musical tradition and a rapidly changing future.

“Back When Grandma Was Loud”
A humorous and affectionate poem about a grandchild who discovers that quiet, eighty-two-year-old Grandma once had a very different life. An old photograph, a battered guitar, and one electrifying performance reveal that beneath the lavender, peppermint, and sensible exterior still lives the fearless young rocker she once was. It’s a celebration of identity, memory, and the delightful discovery that growing older doesn’t mean turning down the volume.