'A Complete Unknown' — a talkback at The Triplex

Seth Rogovoy at the screening of “A Complete Unknown” at The Triplex.
Natalia Zukerman
Seth Rogovoy at the screening of “A Complete Unknown” at The Triplex.
When Seth Rogovoy, acclaimed author, critic, and cultural commentator of “The Rogovoy Report” on WAMC Northeast Public Radio, was asked to lead a talkback at The Triplex in Great Barrington following a screening of the Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown,” he took on the task with a thoughtful and measured approach.
“I really try to foster a conversation and keep my opinions about the film to myself,” said Rogovoy before the event on Sunday, Jan. 5. “I want to let people talk about how they felt about it and then I ask follow-up questions, or people ask me questions. I don’t reveal a lot about my feelings until the end.”
The film, directed by James Mangold and starring Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan, portrays young Dylan’s arrival in Greenwich Village during the early 1960s. The film depicts his interactions with key figures like Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Joan Baez, and Suze Rotolo (called Sylvie Russo in the film), while also exploring Dylan’s evolution from performing traditional folk songs to writing his own, including iconic tracks like “Blowin’ in the Wind.” The narrative touches on his struggles with fame, identity, and the pressure to conform, culminating in his controversial electric performance at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival.
“I went into seeing the film with an open mind,” said Rogovoy, “recognizing that this film is not for me. It’s not for ‘Dylanologists,’ for experts. It’s a Hollywood film. I don’t think it does harm, but I think it doesn’t do a lot of what it could have done.”
The film presents a sentimental narrative with many historical inaccuracies. “According to Elijah Wald, whose book the film is based on, he said he likes the film but that it’s entirely fictional,” said Rogovoy.
The talkback itself was lively, with audience members sharing their thoughts on the film’s nostalgic appeal and its historical inaccuracies. Several attendees mentioned how the film helped them relive the cultural transformation of the era.
“It brings to mind the first time I heard that music, and the change it had on our culture,” shared one audience member.
Another attendee, who was just a baby during the time period depicted in the film, said, “I loved how much of his music they did play. It wasn’t just one verse and then cut away. I really got a renewed appreciation for his genius. I’m going full Dylan when I get home.”
While Rogovoy’s approach during the talkback was to facilitate discussion, audience members were eager to hear his analysis. His 2009 book, “Bob Dylan: Prophet Mystic Poet” explores Dyan’s connection to Jewish liturgy. In contrast to “A Complete Unknown,” Rogovoy offered a reminder of “I’m Not There,” the 2007 experimental musical drama co-written and directed by Todd Haynes where six actors portrayed different facets of Dylan’s persona. He described the film’s nonlinear narrative as offering what he called “a Dylanesque portrayal” of the artist, capturing more of the complexity of Dylan’s identity. Rogovoy characterized Chalamet’s portrayal as “one note.”
“And how do we know about the essence of Bob Dylan at that time?” asked Rogovoy. “Well, because there are a number of documentary films with footage of that time, which I’m sure that they (the filmmakers and cast) all viewed again and again. My understanding of Chalamet’s preparation was that he really immersed himself in everything to be a credible Bob Dylan. But in the end, I just found him to be entirely monochromatic.”
The screening and talkback provided a nuanced platform for discussing “A Complete Unknown”—a film that, while not without flaws, ignited a conversation about Bob Dylan’s influence and his enigmatic role in shaping American music and culture.
SHARON — Sharon Dennis Rosen, 83, died on Aug. 8, 2025, in New York City.
Born and raised in Sharon, Connecticut, she grew up on her parents’ farm and attended Sharon Center School and Housatonic Valley Regional High School. She went on to study at Skidmore College before moving to New York City, where she married Dr. Harvey Rosen and together they raised two children.
Sharon’s lifelong love of learning and the arts shaped both her work and her passions. For decades, she served as a tour guide at the American Museum of Natural History and the Asia Society, sharing her knowledge and enthusiasm with countless visitors. She also delighted in traveling widely, immersing herself in other cultures, and especially treasured time spent visiting her daughter and grandsons in Europe and Africa.
She was also deeply connected to her hometown, where in retirement she spent half her time and had many friends. She served as President of the Sharon East Side Cemetery until the time of her death, where generations of her family are buried and where she will also be laid to rest.
She is survived by her husband, Harvey; her children, Jennifer and Marc; and four beloved grandchildren.
The Haystack Book Festival, a program of the Norfolk Hub, brings renowned writers and thinkers to Norfolk for conversation. Celebrating its fifth season this fall, the festival will gather 18 writers for discussions at the Norfolk Library on Sept. 20 and Oct. 3 through 5.
Jerome A. Cohen, author of the memoir “Eastward, Westward: A Lifein Law.”Haystack Book Festival
For example, “Never Take the Rule of Law for Granted: China and the Dissident,” will be held Saturday, Sept. 20, at 4 p.m. at the Norfolk Library. It brings together Jerome A. Cohen, author of “Eastward, Westward: A Life in Law,” and Mark Clifford, author of “The Troublemaker: How Jimmy Lai Became a Billionaire, Hong King’s Greatest Dissident, and China’s Most Feared Critic” in dialogue with journalist Richard Hornik to discuss the rule of law and China.
The Council on Foreign Relations stated, “Few Americans have done more than Jerome A. Cohen to advance the rule of law in East Asia. He established the study of Chinese law in the United States. An advocate for human rights, Cohen has been a scholar, teacher, lawyer, and activist for sixty years.”
Cohen, a professor at New York University School of Law and director of its U.S.-Asia Law Institute, revealed his long view on China: “We are now witnessing another extreme in the pendulum’s swing toward repression. Xi Jinping is likely to outlive me but ‘no life lives forever.’ There will eventually be another profound reaction to the current totalitarian era.”
Mark Clifford, author of “The Troublemaker: How Jimmy Lai Became a Billionaire, Hong Kong’s Greatest Dissident, and China’s Most Feared Critic.”Haystack Book Festival
In “The Troublemaker,” Clifford chronicles Lai’s life from child refugee to pro-democracy billionaire to his current imprisonment by the Chinese Communist Party. Clifford is president of the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation, a Walter Bagehot Fellow at Columbia University, and holds a PhD in history from the University of Hong Kong. He was the former editor-in-chief of the South China Morning Post and The Standard (Hong Kong and Seoul).
Journalist Richard Hornik, adjunct senior fellow at the East-West Center in Honolulu.Haystack Book Festival
Richard Hornik, adjunct senior fellow at the East-West Center, will moderate the discussion. Hornik is the former executive editor of AsiaWeek, news service director of Time magazine, and former Time bureau chief in Warsaw, Boston, Beijing and Hong Kong.
Betsy Lerner, author of “Shred Sisters,” is giving the 2025 Brendan Gill lecture at the Haystack Book Festival.Haystack Book Festival
The Brendan Gill Lecture is a highlight of the festival honoring longtime Norfolk resident Brendan Gill, who died in1997. Gill wrote for The New Yorker magazine for fifty years. Betsy Lerner, New York Times-recognized author of “Shred Sisters,” will deliver this year’s lecture on Friday, Oct. 3, at 6 p.m. at the Norfolk Library.
Visit haystackbookfestival.org to register. Admission is free.
Danielle Mailer with her 12 foot aluminum mountain lion outside of the Scoville Library.
On Saturday, Sept. 27, Salisbury Family Services (SFS) will hold a benefit dinner and barn dance, honoring artist Danielle Mailer. Taking place at Stillwater Farm in Salisbury, this festive fundraiser will feature cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, dinner, and lively barn dancing — all in support of the critical services SFS provides.
Founded in the mid-1930s during the Great Depression, Salisbury Family Services has been a lifeline for residents of Salisbury and the surrounding villages of Amesville, Lakeville, Lime Rock, and Taconic for nearly 90 years. What began as an effort by local women to mend clothes and provide food has evolved into a professional social service agency offering confidential support for housing, food, childcare, medical needs and more.
This year’s benefit celebrates Danielle Mailer, a nationally recognized visual artist and longtime local resident whose vibrant work and generous spirit have left a lasting impression on the Northwest Corner. Known for her bold, figurative style and large-scale public installations, Mailer has brought color and life to communities throughout Connecticut and beyond.
“I suspect that they honored me because they think I’ve given back to the community in various ways,” said Mailer from her studio in Goshen. Mailer just began her tenth year as a teacher at the Salisbury School. Prior to that, she taught at Indian Mountain School for 15 years. “So that’s, what? That’s 25 years of teaching in the community,” said Mailer with a laugh.
Alongside teaching, Mailer will also be honored for her artistic contributions to the area. If you’ve driven through Torrington and seen the undulating sea of fish on the backside of Staples (“Project Fishtales”) or delighted in her playful blue lion outside of the Scoville Library, you’ve seen her art do what it does best: transform public space into something personal and joyful.
Mailer has shown in major galleries, had retrospectives at the Mattatuck Museum in Waterbury, Connecticut, and helped shape The Tides of Provincetown, a traveling tribute to her hometown of Provincetown, Massachusetts. Currently, she’s getting ready for the unveiling of a large-scale ballerina she created for the Nutmeg Ballet Conservatory in Torrington on Oct. 3.
Some of Mailer’s work will be on view and for sale at the event on the 27th. Proceeds directly support the SFS’s ability to provide emergency assistance and essential services to those in need.
“I readily donate my art to lots of things because I think that’s something art can do — to support the different community events that are very necessary to keep the town humming, said Mailer. “And I am really flattered. It’s been really fun to be honored.”
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.salisburyfamilyservices.org