Bob Dylan has been awarded the 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature. It was thought the fix was in for ABBA, but Sara Darius, speaking for the Swedish Academy, said the prize went to Dylan because "he's such a dynamite songwriter." (Little Swedish humor there.)
Some expressed surprise that, for the first time, the award in literature had gone to a songwriter; but it was pointed out that many previous laureates also had written songs. Who can forget T.S. Eliot's "Let's have a Tiddley at the Milk Bar," Thomas Mann's "Beer Barrel Polka," or Saul Bellow's "Louie, Louie"? It has been whispered that Alice Munro was an uncredited co-lyricist on Hank Snow's "Music Makin' Mama from Memphis."
Most, however, expressed delight at Dylan's recognition. Praise was given by Dylan fans from Barack Obama to Stephen King. Salman Rushdie said, "I intend to spend the day playing 'Mr. Tambourine Man'."
Philip Roth, however, will spend the day playing his own recording of "I've Got a Right to Sing the Blues." Back-up vocals by Margaret Atwood and Joyce Carol Oates.
Next year? We're pulling for Leonard Cohen.
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Actually, by next year's nominations the Nobel folks might have finally got around to hearing Cohen's music. It obviously took quite a while for them to 'discover' the considerably less gifted Dylan.
ReplyDeleteLantzvillain's point is well made. There's quite a downward gap from Leonard Cohen to Bob Dylan. And for what, actually, was the likeable but less than statesmanly B. Obama awarded the Nobel Peace Prize?
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