Positively 4th Street

The Untold Story of the 1960s Folk Scene That Launched Bob Dylan and Joan Baez

Positively Fourth Street is the captivating story of how four young bohemians – Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Mimi Baez, and Richard Farina – converged in Greenwich Village, fell into love, and invented a sound and style that became one of the most enduring legacies of the 1960s. Author David Hajdu, acclaimed for his biography of jazz composer Billy Strayhorn, vividly captures the emergence of folk music from cult practice to popular art form through the colorful lives of this influential foursome.

The narrative unfolds from the Baez family home in suburban Boston to the vibrant folk scenes of Cambridge and Minneapolis, where a young Robert Zimmerman reinvented himself as Bob Dylan. Hajdu reveals surprising details and never-before-told stories, shedding new light on Dylan’s early years and his rise as a protest singer and countercultural icon.

With its fresh perspective on a defining era, Positively Fourth Street offers an illuminating look at the 1960s before they became “the Sixties.” Hajdu’s engaging prose and meticulous research make this a must-read for music fans, history buffs, and anyone fascinated by the power of creativity and the spirit of an age.