Bob Dylan Becomes First Songwriter To Win The Nobel Prize In Literature
- by Paula Vaughn
- in Culture
- — Oct 14, 2016
His first album contained only two original songs, but the 1963 breakthrough "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan" featured a slew of his own work including the classic "Blowin' in the Wind".
"Yes to dance beneath a diamond sky with one hand waving free." for this alone Bob Dylan deserves the Nobel Prize - Billy Bragg on Twitter.
Dylan's impact on popular culture was vast and his influence as a lyricist extends to every major music figure and songwriter of the last 50 years, from the Beatles to Bruce Springsteen and beyond.
"They sound like old British people sniffing and harrumphing about kids these days, which is kind of amusing given the fact that Dylan has had a profound impact on our culture and also on writing for half a century". "His influence on contemporary music is profound, and he is the object of a steady stream of secondary literature".
Though there are many that did not consider Dylan as a legitimate poet. Novelist Norman Malier said of Dylan, "If Dylan's a poet, I'm a basketball player". Bob Dylan writes poetry for the ear.
Welsh also begged to know whether writer Don De Lillo had been inducted into the Rock "n" Roll hall of fame yet. Many believed Vera Rubin, an 88-year-old woman who first provided real evidence of black matter decades ago, would be a favorite to take home the prize. And while Dylan has enjoyed perennial favor as an outside shot for the award, the prospect that the musician would be the one to break the Americans' long dry spell was regarded as far-fetched - not least because he made his career foremost on the stage, not the printed page.
Another said that while he appreciates Dylan's selection, he is concerned about the future of the award.
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"From Orpheus to Faiz, song & poetry have been closely linked". Salman Rushdie, who has written songs with U2's Bono, tweeted that Dylan is "the brilliant inheritor of the bardic tradition". "I think they're ridiculous", she said. The prize is named after dynamite inventor Alfred Nobel and has been awarded since 1901 for achievements in science, literature and peace in accordance with his will.
Chilean President Michelle Bachelet congratulated Dylan, saying "many fond memories from my adolescence are associated with his music".
But on a few occasions, the academy broadened the scope of the Nobel Prize to other types of wordsmiths.
He is also the first American to win since novelist Toni Morrison in 1993.
The ceremony honoring all the Nobel Prize winners will take place December 10 in Stockholm.
Sara Danius, Permanent Secretary at the Swedish Academy said Dylan "is a great poet in the English-speaking tradition".
