Performed Literature: Words and Music by Bob Dylan

by Betsy Bowden

Bob Dylan is not a poet. He is a singer-songwriter, a performing artist. The unit of his art, as collected and documented by his intended audience, is the live performance. Right now, no existing technological tool can give researchers ready access to his entire corpus of work. Revised from the author's Ph.D. dissertation (UC Berkeley, 1978) and again from its first edition (Indiana UP, 1982), Performed Literature develops a methodology for close analysis of verbal art that is heard, not seen, using as comparative examples 24 performances of 11 songs by Bob Dylan. The second edition adds a preface, two major appendices and one minor one, and a detailed index.

274 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1982

Reviews

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

I disagree with the author in her statement that Dylan is not a poet, but i do completely agree that the Performer Bob is also who he is. I feel like it is not just what he says but how he says it that is remarkable. I find it amusing that people say Dylan "can't sing." He is incredibly evocative and conveys much through his vocals that is subtle, haunted, potent, and at times even lascivious.

[Ray Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book after the Nobel committee awarded Bob Dylan the literature award, I found the book somewhat dated and a bit preachy in the political side but overall an interesting analysis of some of Dylan's weighty songs. Might be a tad technical for some with limited music training.