The Nobel Prize in Literature

[A_B]

Not dead, but some purists will think so, since Bob Dylan just won it.

I'm ok with it. Kinda cool to see songwriting recognized.

[rass]

I saw "this just in" and a picture of Dylan on FB (the headline was below the picture and not within the visible area on my phone) so I momentarily thought he had died.

[tennbengal]

Smooth fucking move by the Trump people to get this news releases this morning. The distraction they desperately need.

[Rex]

They finally got around to listening to Blood on the Tracks

[Rex]

I saw "this just in" and a picture of Dylan on FB (the headline was below the picture and not within the visible area on my phone) so I momentarily thought he had died.

CNN's obituary staff is pissed today.

[mister d]

I'm going to go put some Dylan on to confirm I still don't like / don't get him.

[A_B]

I have a feeling if you take his shitty ass voice away from it and make him a poet you might be more inclined to see where it's coming from. I mean, is this my favorite choice? Not really, but I can at least see that they're being "progressive" in looking to the substance of lyrics and not just disqualifying because they have a backbeat.

[mister d]

Had to turn it off at "I Shall Be Free".

[brian]

I like Dylan OK but this is so fucking dumb especially when there are so many deserving novelists who haven't been awarded it.

[A_B]

The more I think about it it is kinda silly. But the Nobel committee has been selecting shit against public opinion for a while now. Or maybe it's just against mainstream media opinion. I admittedly don't know enough about international literature to comment fully on the most recent winners.

[brian]

Seems like they do a lot of it for shock value for some reason, but their prizes are endowed from now until the end of time so not like they have to answer to anyone. I'm really not that upset about them giving it to Dylan, if they were ever going to award it to a musician he's probably the right one (as far as a "literature" prize goes anyway).

Just more in disbelief that they apparently feel there's no living novelists who are worthy which I don't believe is true.

[A_B]

Seems like they do a lot of it for shock value for some reason, but their prizes are endowed from now until the end of time so not like they have to answer to anyone. I'm really not that upset about them giving it to Dylan, if they were ever going to award it to a musician he's probably the right one (as far as a "literature" prize goes anyway).

Just more in disbelief that they apparently feel there's no living novelists who are worthy which I don't believe is true.

I'm confident they take the list of the top 10 betting favorites in england and just say "well, they're out, obviously!"

[mister d]

They probably just wanted to meet Dylan.

[brian]

Seems like they do a lot of it for shock value for some reason, but their prizes are endowed from now until the end of time so not like they have to answer to anyone. I'm really not that upset about them giving it to Dylan, if they were ever going to award it to a musician he's probably the right one (as far as a "literature" prize goes anyway).

Just more in disbelief that they apparently feel there's no living novelists who are worthy which I don't believe is true.

I'm confident they take the list of the top 10 betting favorites in england and just say "well, they're out, obviously!"

Interesting you should say that because I was just reading this article.

Surprisingly (?), Ladbrokes has been pretty close to right most years recently (they had Dylan at 50-1 this year though).

The only one that really chafes me is that Murakami hasn't been awarded a Nobel and he's beyond deserving in my opinion. I think he's the greatest living novelist (with Philip Roth close).

[Rush2112]

They finally got around to listening to Blood on the Tracks

Tangled Up In Blue is a rhyming dictionary for crying out loud.


and this morning's soundtrack.

[A_B]

Seems like they do a lot of it for shock value for some reason, but their prizes are endowed from now until the end of time so not like they have to answer to anyone. I'm really not that upset about them giving it to Dylan, if they were ever going to award it to a musician he's probably the right one (as far as a "literature" prize goes anyway).

Just more in disbelief that they apparently feel there's no living novelists who are worthy which I don't believe is true.

I'm confident they take the list of the top 10 betting favorites in england and just say "well, they're out, obviously!"

Interesting you should say that because I was just reading this article.

Surprisingly (?), Ladbrokes has been pretty close to right most years recently (they had Dylan at 50-1 this year though).

The only one that really chafes me is that Murakami hasn't been awarded a Nobel and he's beyond deserving in my opinion. I think he's the greatest living novelist (with Philip Roth close).

He's too young. And I'd go with him and John Banville as most deserving. Not a huge Roth fan.

[DaveInSeattle]

He's too young. And I'd go with him and John Banville as most deserving. Not a huge Roth fan.

"American Pastoral" is a masterpiece.

[Giff]

He's too young. And I'd go with him and John Banville as most deserving. Not a huge Roth fan.

"American Pastoral" is a masterpiece.

I didn't realize there was going to be a movie.

[Pruitt]

Seems like they do a lot of it for shock value for some reason, but their prizes are endowed from now until the end of time so not like they have to answer to anyone. I'm really not that upset about them giving it to Dylan, if they were ever going to award it to a musician he's probably the right one (as far as a "literature" prize goes anyway).

Just more in disbelief that they apparently feel there's no living novelists who are worthy which I don't believe is true.

It's a joke - like giving an acting Oscar to an animated character.

There are plenty of awards for songwriters.

(And if you don't like Philip Roth, give "The Plot Against America" a read. Chilling stuff and hugely relevant at the moment.)

[sancarlos]

The thing about Philip Roth is that a lot of casual readers simply associate him with the best book on wanking, ever.

[Giff]

Who needs a book on that? I was an expert from the first time Emannuelle came on (pun intended!) The Movie Channel summer of 1989.

[Rex]

Next time they should go with someone they can count on to accept it, like Van Halen.

[sancarlos]

Gotta say, it's pretty funny that it was huge news all over the media when it was announced that Dylan would receive the award, and, then he doesn't even respond to their attempts to contact him.

[Pruitt]

Gotta say, it's pretty funny that it was huge news all over the media when it was announced that Dylan would receive the award, and, then he doesn't even respond to their attempts to contact him.

That's pretty cool.

When I was in L.A., there was a gushing article in the Times (which I remember actually being a good paper), by a writer who saw Dylan in Vegas the night the award was announced. She put all sorts of significance to the event, saying that he played with extra passion... even though he didn't mention the Nobel.

Such drivel...

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/mu ... story.html

And the crowd, as they say, went wild.

“I tweeted earlier ‘I’m going to see Bob Dylan tonight in Las Vegas,’ and people I don’t even know responded saying today is one of the most iconic concerts in his life,” Joe Famalette, a 24-year-old from Los Angeles, told me after the show. “And he was jamming! The first thing I thought when he came out was, ‘He has some swag.’”

[The Sybian]

(And if you don't like Philip Roth, give "The Plot Against America" a read. Chilling stuff and hugely relevant at the moment.)

Funny, that is the only Roth book I've read. I loved the idea, enjoyed the first half of the book, but it really petered off. Seemed like he lost interest or rushed to finish it.