Today our greatest poet was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. This is an astounding, wonderful, well deserved honor for Dylan and folk and music and popular culture. I’m so absurdly thrilled about it. In their article on the award the Times said:

“Sara Danius, a literary scholar and the permanent secretary of the 18-member Swedish Academy, which awards the prize, called Mr. Dylan ‘a great poet in the English-speaking tradition’ and compared him to Homer and Sappho, whose work was delivered orally. Asked if the decision to award the prize to a musician signaled a broadening in the definition of literature, Ms. Danius jokingly responded, ‘The times they are a changing, perhaps.’ ”

“His lyricism is exquisite; his concerns and subjects are demonstrably timeless; and few poets of any era have seen their work bear more influence.”

These are things we of course already know but are so happy to hear.

Read my past articles about Bobby: I’m Not There: Reviewed, The Last Waltz: Reviewed, Buckets of Rain, The Art of the Album, Dylan for Nighttime, Idiot Wind, Dylan for Sleep, Late Night Track.

Listen to Dylan snarl and sing about the unfair death of William Zanzinger. For now is the time for your tears.