Tim Riley

Journalism professor and NPR commentator, Riley speaks about the way that social media has changed the face of journalism. His books on the Beatles and John Lennon are considered definitive works.

Tim Riley Tell Me Why Tim Riley LennonTim Riley Fever  Tim Riley Madonna

Perhaps the first serious analysis of the Beatles' work and its impact on popular music, "Tell Me Why" is meticulous in its purpose and long overdue....Of the hundreds of books written about [the Beatles] none bring the musical knowledge and the familiarity with the period that Riley offers here.

- Cleveland Plain Dealer

Riley's talk remains the most memorable and instructive presentation we've had since we launched the conference in 2005.

- The Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Conference

Shrewdly balanced -- with musicology as important as sociology -- [Riley] offers Beatles criticism of unprecedented fullness.

- Kirkus Reviews

Riley already wrote a useful book about Beatles music, "Tell Me Why", but the added biographical dimension in “Lennon” has deepened his insight considerably. His account of the writing and making of “Strawberry Fields Forever,” for example, is a critical tour de force.

- New York Times