Air Split Open: Odetta, Joan Baez, and the American Folk Movement

Nearly a decade ago, Bob Dylan fan Addie Mahmassani took a look at her large collection of books on the 1960s folk revival and asked what was missing. The answer was obvious: There was scarce feminist analysis of the scene. Air Split Open takes an important step in filling this gap.

Deploying her background in cultural history, gender, sexuality, and performance studies, Mahmassani tracks the interwoven careers of Odetta and Joan Baez, creating a new story of the folk revival that is at once incisive and entertaining, while also grappling with broader questions of the way male-centered historical narratives take shape in the context of American popular culture. A feminist take on the music scene that defined an era, Air Split Open is fueled by deep respect for the American folk tradition and all those, known and unknown, who have carried it forward.