Helen Akitt is a teacher, writer and musician, with a special interest in US popular culture and roots music. She has numerous CD sleeve notes to her credit, including artists as celebrated and diverse as Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Joan Baez and Willie Nelson. The Foreword is by Paul du Noyer; author, editor and music journalist he began his career on the New Musical Express, went on to edit Q and founded Mojo. As well as editing several rock reference books he is the author of We All Shine On, about the solo music of John Lennon.