Dylanologists

A joyous and poignant exploration of the meaning of fandom, the healing power of art, and the importance of embracing what moves you, The Dylanologists is juicyartfully toldand an often moving chronicle of the ecstasies and depravities of obsession (New York Daily News).Bob Dylan is the most influential songwriter of our time, and, after a half century, he continues to be a touchstone, a fascination, and an enigma. From the very beginning, he attracted an intensely fanatical cult following, and in The Dylanologists, Pulitzer Prizewinning journalist David Kinney ventures deep into this eccentric subculture to answer a question: What can Dylans grip on his most enthusiastic listeners tell us about his towering place in American culture? Kinney introduces us to a vibrant underground: diggers searching for unheard tapes and lost manuscripts, researchers obsessing over the facts of Dylans life and career, writers working to decode the unyieldingly mysterious songs, fans who meticulously record and dissect every concert. Its an affectionate mania, but as far as Dylan is concerned, a mania nonetheless. Over the years, the intensely private and fiercely combative musician has been frightened, annoyed, and perplexed by fans who try to peel back his layers. He has made one thingperhaps the only thingcrystal clear: He does not wish to be known. Told with tremendous insight, intelligence, and warmth, entertaining and well-writtenThe Dylanologists is as much a book about obsessionabout the ways our fascinations manifest themselves, about how we cope with what we love but dont quite understandas it is a book about a musician and his nutty fans (The Wall Street Journal).