About

Welcome Friends,

“How the Songs Work” is a space where I share my writing and activities about popular music, poetry, and the role of music in society. I post here occasional writings about song and poetry, and use the site as a refuge for fellow enthusiasts who are participating in my classes and discussion groups.

My day job finds me teaching at the University of California, Berkeley, where I am Distinguished Professor of Comparative Literature and French. In addition to my work on music and poetry, I write scholarly articles and books about Renaissance literature, about the history of diplomacy and about the history of emotion. You can follow that work at my other website: www.timothyhampton.org

Currently, I am delighted to be running a subscription-based seminar/discussion group on Bob Dylan called “Themes and Schemes.” If you are interested in joining, please contact me at: timothyhamptonlive@gmail.com

All the best,

Tim Hampton