"It's my own selection, through my youth to adult years.
"I don't let any algorithms make my selection," says Thornley.
"There'll be some surprises."
Thornley will share a Los Angeles Black gospel choir singing a selection of 10 Dylan songs, and he's tossing up whether to play the spiritual I Shall Be Released or the earthy love song Lay, Lady, Lay.
There's a bootleg 1966 album of a Manchester Free Trade Hall folkrock concert that gives expression to the 60's youth revolution, paralleled today in the Extinction Rebellion generation.
Three women in Dylan's life serve as muses to his art: his first girlfriend Suze Rotolo, his wife Sara, and Queen of Folk, Joan Baez.
They have their roles to play in the show.
Twice Dylan temporarily lost his fans when he abruptly changed styles – first, his move from acoustic to electric sounds, and second, his conversion to a strong evangelical Christian faith.
Both feature in the story.
On October 13 2016, Dylan became the first American musician to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.
As a former English teacher, Thornley takes particular delight in digging deep into the lyrics.
Dylan says himself that he didn't always know what his words meant.
This hasn't stopped scholars, professional and amateur, writing tomes of academic and lay volumes filling up the library shelves.
"Of course, Dylan is not completely pulling our legs," says Thornley.
"He's really inviting listeners to complete their own meaning for the songs.
"All the creative arts do this.
"It's a good story I share.
"I welcome any and all to this Sunday special."
The show is put on by the Palmy Vinyl Club, and co-sponsored by the Palmerston North City Library and the Manawatū People's Radio.
The third talk, on Aretha Franklin, is Sunday, November 8.
Thornley's talk is Sunday October 11 at the City Library, 2pm-3pm, free admission.
