Bob Dylan – a Nobel reading challenge

I could argue against Dylan being awarded the Nobel Prize, but really I am quite ambivalent about this year’s Nobel Prize for Literature. The literary world is divided too. There are those who argue the Nobel Prize committee made an inventive decision because songs are really forms of poems set to music. Others argue songs are separate and distinct forms of expression divided into their own genres .

I’m also one of those people who feels what is good for the goose is good for the gander. If you’re going to award songwriters the Nobel Prize for Literature, then shouldn’t authors be able to win music awards? Obviously that can’t happen. Anyway, we’re going to make the best of this 2016 Nobel Prize decision and honour Bob Dylan for his creative spirit that manifested itself in folk music that defined an era .

When you think about it, Dylan is remarkable for his ability to get a socio/ political message across with a gravelly, unmelodious, nasal voice that borders on being unpleasant. Somehow he managed to rise above rock music and its self-indulgent singers who blasted hedonistic messages through the 60s .

Dylan provided substantial messages .

It’s possible to argue that Dylan isn’t really singing. He’s more of a raspyvoiced, rapper-kind of entertainer. Well, you can argue just about anything when it comes to this year’s Nobel prize for literature .

The stories that define Dylan’s songs resemble newspaper features. In the 60s, American folk music served the same purpose as calypso music has through the ages. Both folk music and calypso can be considered the people’s newspaper .

If you’re unfamiliar with Dylan’s classics “Like a Rolling Stone”, “It Ain’t Me Babe”, “The Times They are a Changin’”, “ “Blowin in the Wind”, “Mr Tambourine Man” and other songs, you can listen to Dylan’s hits on a variety of albums including collections of his greatest hits. If you’re still pining for a traditional, paperback book to read to celebrate the Nobel Prize in Literature, then you can buy a collection of Dylan’s lyrics .

Dylan did write an autobiography, which is neither forthcoming nor particularly exciting. He didn’t seem to feel any deep need to expose his warts to readers .

All you get are the basics of his life .

From everything I saw in the movie Factory Girl, Dylan doesn’t seem like a particularly nice person, but then what does that have to do with artistic merit?