Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Sam Sussman’s mother Fran had a year-long love affair with Dylan when he was working on Blood on the Tracks – she’s mentioned in Tangled Up In Blue – and they met again in 1990. What she told him about that relationship is mapped out in the book he’s just written, Boy From the North Country, along with the firm belief that he’s Dylan’s son. Imagine how that must feel. This extraordinary conversation takes a number of turns and these are among them …
… Norman Raeben’s art class where Dylan was trying break his creative block and met the 20-year old Fran Sussman
… details of their 12-month affair and how it ended: “he gave me love songs but not love”
… the verses of Tangled Up In Blue that relate to Fran and the philosophy, art and poetry woven into his songs at the time
… Dylan’s other women in 1974
… being told by a teacher that he looked like Dylan and how he’s played up that connection ever since
… how it feels to think you might have numerous Dylan siblings - and how many there might be(!)
… the kind of people Sam meets in his book-signing queues
... and why his mother wouldn’t confirm who his father was.
Order copies of Boy From The North Country here:
waterstones.com/book/boy-from-the-north-country/sam-sussman/9781804711286
Help us to keep The Longest Conversation In Rock going: patreon.com/wordinyourear
Sam Sussman’s mother Fran had a year-long love affair with Dylan when he was working on Blood on the Tracks – she’s mentioned in Tangled Up In Blue – and they met again in 1990. What she told him about that relationship is mapped out in the book he’s just written, Boy From the North Country, along with the firm belief that he’s Dylan’s son. Imagine how that must feel. This extraordinary conversation takes a number of turns and these are among them …
… Norman Raeben’s art class where Dylan was trying break his creative block and met the 20-year old Fran Sussman
… details of their 12-month affair and how it ended: “he gave me love songs but not love”
… the verses of Tangled Up In Blue that relate to Fran and the philosophy, art and poetry woven into his songs at the time
… Dylan’s other women in 1974
… being told by a teacher that he looked like Dylan and how he’s played up that connection ever since
… how it feels to think you might have numerous Dylan siblings - and how many there might be(!)
… the kind of people Sam meets in his book-signing queues
... and why his mother wouldn’t confirm who his father was.
Order copies of Boy From The North Country here:
waterstones.com/book/boy-from-the-north-country/sam-sussman/9781804711286
Help us to keep The Longest Conversation In Rock going: patreon.com/wordinyourear
