Bob Dylan 2016 Nobel Lecture in Literature - NMC

[Jacob]

Bob Dylan 2016 Nobel Lecture in Literature

[CarlM]

Thank you for posting this. It was really interesting and better than I expected.

[DougC]

An educated man who really uses his education. A great teacher too. And story teller. And singer, of course.

Many of us, being of his generation or a little younger like me, have had experiences with the music and literature he has described. We have similar understandings and commitments to music and culture. And life itself.

He is no 'light weight dude" but neither are we who listen.

Thanks for this. I'm sorry I didn't hear it sooner.

[Fretbear]

"Someone like me was never supposed to get in, but once I was in they couldn't get me out......"

Bob Dylan

[BradKlein]

That old trickster. I was tempted to tease him for sounding like a student delivering a book report (or three) in a Wes Anderson movie. But he nails something vital about the interconnectedness of all art forms -- music, lit, art, dance. Of course, it all springs from the same well of human experience. And of course he weaves that spell of his at the same time.

If you'd like to listen or download in MP3 form, you should be able to here:

https://soundcloud.com/twangbox/bob-...ecture/s-SICzg

[CarlM]

That old trickster. I was tempted to tease him for sounding like a student delivering a book report (or three) in a Wes Anderson movie.

He is answering the obvious question that everyone had, why is what he does worthy of a Nobel Prize in Literature. It is supportive and a defense of the judges decision, many of whom have been criticized for cheapening the prize by this award and that they were pandering to popular taste. Despite the book report aspects, it touches on an old debate whether folk art or popular art is really art. He shows how they are intertwined. The debate of course has happened before, when Dvorak took folk themes, when Copeland used American fiddle tunes, when Bach wrote country dances, when Hemingway and Steinbeck used plain words and sentences, when the regionalists painted. His response shows a lot of humility asking the question of himself of why do I deserve this award.

[Mark Gunter]

Well, that didn't take long at all ...

The Irony of Bob Dylan's Nobel Lecture Possibly Cribbing from Sparknotes

[Rick Nelson]

Bob Dylan 2016 Nobel Lecture in Literature

Just read that Dylan lifted much of this "Lecture" from Cliff Notes or some such source. I found it painful to listen to and can't imagine anything so incoherent coming from such a reputable source. A great contributor to folk/rock history, but after trying to plow through his autobiography with no success, and listening to this, Bob should stick to writing songs.

[DougC]

Why do folks discuss the aspects of the presentation rather than the message delivered by the artist? Do they want to have their own opinion involved more than just discussing what he said? I agree with Joni Mitchell when it comes to Dylan but I'm still very impressed with what he said. And I don't care how he did his homework. He has a moving and insightful statement and days later, I'm still thinking about it.

[Mark Gunter]

I hear ya Rick, but ... to each his own. I enjoyed his lecture. Reference the article in my post just above yours ... as first announced, I believe by Rolling Stone, a certain author and educator found a bunch of evidence that Bob lifted many of the Moby Dick imageries from Sparknotes website, and the guy published it in his blog (so really, he was first to announce? Anyway ...). He would've given Bob a failing grade in a literature class.

I don't doubt that Rob Zimmerman probably failed some literature classes in his youth. But then, many giants of literature, physics, and other disciplines didn't do particularly well in school, and pretty much all have been magpies to some extent.

[Mark Gunter]

Why do folks discuss ...

Human nature

[Grommet]

Thanks for posting this Jacob. I think the difficulty of grasping the meaning of the Committee bestowing the Nobel Prize on his work was what he was expressing. Would anyone really expect Bob or Woody or Leadbelly or Lightning, to provide citations? It isn't in the folksinger job description. During his early performances he adopted the persona of Woody Gutherie. He played Woodiy's songs and wrote some of his early songs in the talkin' blues style as performed by Woody. Why? That he visited Woody in the hospital when he was dying suggests to me that he was moved by the man and his music. Woody borrowed a bit form here and there as did many other folk artists. Bob' s songs evolved and keep evolving and many of them touched alot of follks. I wouldn't wast my time goin through them or some rambling talk he gave looking for for a list of citations.

Scott

[swampstomper]

Charles Seeger (Pete's father): "Plagiarism is the basis of all culture"

[journeybear]

Here is the transcript of the speech. You can read it and take it at face value, analyze it, dissect it, and/or pick at parts of it - whatever you like. I am damn proud of him for being awarded this honor, and of the Nobel Committee for their decision. People who have been listening to him for decades have long been aware that his lyrics operate on higher and deeper levels than just about any other songwriter in history, and the transformative effect his work has had on world culture is significant. I believe something akin to this latter consideration was what convinced the committee of his worthiness. There is also the sheer volume of his creative output. It's a body of work worthy of recognition.

[Jeff Hildreth]

I was not aware there was a Nobel prize for plagiarism.

Robert Zimmermann.. the ultimate fraud.
Met him at a private" gig in Big Sur in the early 60s with Joan , Mimi Richard Farina et al.
Bobby was Joan's puppy dog.

He could not sing, couldn't play guitar or harmonica, feigned the morose and a brooding intellectual.. a complete boor...
Woody ( er Bobby ) was definitely Nobel prize material.

And speaking of plagiarism .. Pete Seeger???

He duped the world, got away with it and mocked those who drank the kool-aid and ate the Jello. The American Dream.

[RFMando]

Wow, calling out Dylan these days are we? Sign of the interweb culture? Hasn't even Joni walked back most of her comments?

To each their own, Brother Bob might not be my all-time favorite and living in MN I know how far the shadow casts...but to question his stature of deserving a reward like this? Who has done vastly more for songwriting, folk, rock and pushing the boulder of music forward?

Anyone mentioned in similar company would also surely deserve consideration for such an honor in my book Woody, Joni, Joan, Zimmster, Miles you name it....whether he could ever sing and whether or not one thinks he's a true original how can you deny the evidence of creativity no matter its inspiration?

I appreciate his body of work immensely and though he did a rather clever acceptance....

Carry on....

[Mark Gunter]

He's still my favorite after all these years. There have always been a lot of detractors; everyone has a right to their opinion and Bobby's persona rubs some folk the wrong way. Ramblin' Jack was another who like to create an illusory persona for himself, and he done good too IMO.

[Fretbear]

Aw...somebody didn't get the proper attention they deemed themselves worthy of at a party

"Then you'd know what a drag it is, to see you........."

[Tate Ferguson]

I'd have some words with whoever added the piano accompaniment to the lecture. Perhaps Mr. Dylan's words weren't interesting enough on their own.

[BradKlein]

I think the musical accompaniment was added by the laureate himself. So next time you're hanging out with Bob, you can let him know how you feel about it...

[Jon Hall]

Thanks for the post, Jacob. Bob Dylan has been a favorite of mine since the sixties.

[Ivan Kelsall]

From Mark Gunter - "Human nature.". I agree mark - ''If you can't do it - criticise it'' - & how long has that sort of thing been going on ? - millenia i'd suspect !.

Personally,i always found Bob Dylan's writing deeply incisive & i think a lot of thought went into his songs. Certainly,for me,there was nothing ''superficial'' about the man. IMHO - a very great artist,
Ivan