A review by annepw
The Mayor of MacDougal Street by Dave Van Ronk

4.0

I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would, considering I have no particular interest in the folk revival or that whole crowd. I read this on the recommendation of a friend, and the only knowledge I had of Van Ronk was that he was the source for the very good 'Inside Llewyn Davis.' Reading the book, I did see some anecdotes that were clearly sources for the film, but the tone of the memoir and the film is completely different. Where the film is infused with a kind of hopelessness, Van Ronk's memoir is optimistic, funny, and utterly charming. I flew through it just because I wanted to hang out with Dave some more. And it doesn't hurt that he has some good stories to tell.