A friend in NYC told me that an on-line discussion group in which she devotedly participates recently spent an hour on Bob Dylan. After she mentioned my book, several people, including the leader, said they would buy it. She provided my POB, but, so far, no checks have arrived. However I sold a “Bob” at the café to a professionally well-credentialed French horn player who had eyed my several of books previously without purchasing. But having seen the new movie, he took the plunge.
The movie has sparked a lot of Dylan chatter at the café. I have mainly stayed clear and an unlikely to see the film. I see no point to it. I liked the Todd Haynes movie for its imagination, and I liked the Coen brothers recapitulation of the scene, but I was “there.” I lived through it and have my own Dylan in place. Why watch some fictionalized bio-pic and ponder why and where “Judas!” was screamed? I read the book on which it’s based and don’t recall taking much away from it – unlike, say “Positively Fourth Street,” which I thought dishonest crap.
I take it one question on people’s minds is to what extent was Dylan a scheming, back-stabbing, success-hungry opportunist? I don’t credit this line of thinking much. In 1964/65, I doubt anyone was thinking, Hmmm, if I add some amps and symbolist imagery to folk music, I bet I’ll be bigger than Trini Lopez.
In other news…
The “Messiah…” covers are done! Knock-outs! Ready to go. Except my first footnote to my introductory Author’s Note, in which I thanked my proofreaders had disappeared. Then when I re-drafted it for inclusion, the entire Note couldn’t be found.
I’m on it.
So many Bob Levins on the Internet; I'm the Bob Levin who writes.