Another very fine piece! Your discussion of Shanley's play and teasing out the Hal – Henry IV parallels in The King are brilliantly done. But I particularly appreciated your sensitive reading of A Complete Unknown. The dynamics of the Woody – Seeger – Dylan relationship are subtly unravelled.
One text I would add to your piece are the words Bob spoke when presented with his Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award on 20 February 1991.
Accepting the award from a beaming Jack Nicholson, Dylan made this speech:
"Well, um... yeah... my daddy, he didn't leave me much, you know he was a very simple man, but what he did tell me was this, he did say, son, he said…
[long pause, nervous laughter from the crowd]
He said so many things you know. [laughter]
He said, you know it's possible to become so defiled in this world that your own father and mother will abandon you, and if that happens, God will always believe in your own ability to mend your own ways."
Dylan scholars have connected Dylan's words with Rabbi Shimshon Rafael Hirsch (the mid 19th century spiritual leader of traditional Jewry in Germany) commentary on Psalms 27:10. Hirsch wrote:
"Even if I were so depraved that my own mother and father would abandon me to my own devices, God would still gather me up and believe in my ability to mend my ways."
Thanks, Mick! I'm glad you liked this piece. It's also good to see that you and I are once again tuned into the same frequency. I had that Grammy speech in my notes but ended up cutting that section because I was (as usual) running long.
Live in the moment, the speech came across as eccentric drunken rambling. But with benefit of hindsight, it feels like prodigal son Dylan reassuring the audience and himself, "I ain't dead yet!" Like father, like son.
Wow... I have an old photo ov my Great grandfather and grandfather by an old train / B& W taken in Hibbing, Minnesota/ my great Uncle Carl eric lived in Diluth / until he moved to NM / Almoaragorda to work on Blueprints for a certain project in the High desert... is there a Prodigal daughters club That I can sign up for? 🤔🥳🚀🛸🎶🖖🏽
There is a completely lonely , beautiful spot a cemetary for Orphans and Widows in Southern NH… on a hill not far north of Fitchburg, MA / maybe I’ll go up ther/ not too far… wont be wasting too mycho dinero on GAS o Lino… Uncle Sam’s house is aling the way/ near Milford,NH rural route 123 - Mason….
What a beautiful piece. Thank you.
Another very fine piece! Your discussion of Shanley's play and teasing out the Hal – Henry IV parallels in The King are brilliantly done. But I particularly appreciated your sensitive reading of A Complete Unknown. The dynamics of the Woody – Seeger – Dylan relationship are subtly unravelled.
One text I would add to your piece are the words Bob spoke when presented with his Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award on 20 February 1991.
Accepting the award from a beaming Jack Nicholson, Dylan made this speech:
"Well, um... yeah... my daddy, he didn't leave me much, you know he was a very simple man, but what he did tell me was this, he did say, son, he said…
[long pause, nervous laughter from the crowd]
He said so many things you know. [laughter]
He said, you know it's possible to become so defiled in this world that your own father and mother will abandon you, and if that happens, God will always believe in your own ability to mend your own ways."
Dylan scholars have connected Dylan's words with Rabbi Shimshon Rafael Hirsch (the mid 19th century spiritual leader of traditional Jewry in Germany) commentary on Psalms 27:10. Hirsch wrote:
"Even if I were so depraved that my own mother and father would abandon me to my own devices, God would still gather me up and believe in my ability to mend my ways."
Thanks, Mick! I'm glad you liked this piece. It's also good to see that you and I are once again tuned into the same frequency. I had that Grammy speech in my notes but ended up cutting that section because I was (as usual) running long.
Live in the moment, the speech came across as eccentric drunken rambling. But with benefit of hindsight, it feels like prodigal son Dylan reassuring the audience and himself, "I ain't dead yet!" Like father, like son.
Wow... I have an old photo ov my Great grandfather and grandfather by an old train / B& W taken in Hibbing, Minnesota/ my great Uncle Carl eric lived in Diluth / until he moved to NM / Almoaragorda to work on Blueprints for a certain project in the High desert... is there a Prodigal daughters club That I can sign up for? 🤔🥳🚀🛸🎶🖖🏽
When I drive out into the Berkshires and lose all radio ability until I can pick up Vermont Public Radio - I listen to Highway 61 ...
There is a completely lonely , beautiful spot a cemetary for Orphans and Widows in Southern NH… on a hill not far north of Fitchburg, MA / maybe I’ll go up ther/ not too far… wont be wasting too mycho dinero on GAS o Lino… Uncle Sam’s house is aling the way/ near Milford,NH rural route 123 - Mason….