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Like a Nobel Laureate

TheOldMole Jun 12 2005 11:57 PM

On 60 Minutes tonight. they mentioned that Bob Dylan had been nominated for the Nobel Prize for Literature. Thoughts?

Edgy DC Jun 13 2005 07:34 AM

That he's unlikely to win. Literature isn't so much what he does, but the residue of what he does. I imagine some full-time wordsmiths -- not so much the ohter nominees, but their advocates -- would be pissed if he won. (Not saying he does or doesn't deserve it. I have no idea.)

MFS62 Jun 13 2005 07:48 AM

I dunno, but you can come down firmly on both sides of this issue. Some will point to the classic plays written for Greek chorus. Others will say something like "the lyrics of popular songs are the poetry of a generation." The other side will say this is confusing two different art forms. Should be interesting.

sharpie Jun 13 2005 08:26 AM

Considering the last Nobel winner was a fairly obscure Austrian writer, most of whose novels have never been available in the West and is known only because one of her novels, The Piano Teacher, was made into a movie that few saw...considering all of that I'd be delighted if Bob Dylan won. Philip Roth would be pissed and so would many other fulltime writers but Dylan's large body of work (including his excellent memoir) helps give him more legitimacy.

Edgy DC Jun 13 2005 08:33 AM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Jun 13 2005 08:52 PM

Well, Austria would consider itself the west, but I get your meaning. I wonder how quickly and recklessly her novels were translated.

sharpie Jun 13 2005 09:32 AM

I meant to say US rather than West. I have no reason to think that she was poorly translated, however.

TheOldMole Jun 13 2005 08:39 PM

My first choice for an American Nobel Laureate would be Philip Roth. I think Dylan has real credentials, though.

sharpie Jun 13 2005 10:48 PM

It's always hard to figure who they'll tap for the Nobel. Just when you think you've got the list whittled down they slap you upside the face with some Chinese poet.

sharpie Jun 14 2005 06:15 PM

On this date 40 years ago Dylan recorded "Like a Rolling Stone." On the same day Paul McCartney recorded "Yesterday." Probably isn't another day in rock history where 2 such iconic songs were recorded by different artists.

rpackrat Jun 15 2005 05:13 PM

I don't find the nomination objectionable. Standing alone, apart from the music, Dylan's best songs stand up as poetry. But I probably wou;dn't vote to give it to him if I was on the committee.