Dylan Bob - Forget about today: Bob Dylans genius for (re)invention, shunning the naysayers, and creating a personal revolution

Jon Friedman understands that the genius of Bob Dylan (resiliency and reinvention) is also the key to creating a life of innovation and joy. It is our rebel artists like Dylan who create the unique cultural stew that keeps us forever young.

Jonathan Taplin, director of USC Annenberg Innovation Lab and author of Outlaw Blues: Adventures in the Counter-Culture Wars

Forget About Today

BOB DYLANS GENIUS FOR (RE)INVENTION, SHUNNING THE NAYSAYERS, AND CREATING A PERSONAL REVOLUTION

Jon Friedman

A PERIGEE BOOK

A PERIGEE BOOK

Published by the Penguin Group

Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA

Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.) Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England Penguin Group Ireland, 25 St. Stephens Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.) Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.) Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd., 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi110 017, India Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, Auckland 0632, New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.) Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty.) Ltd., 24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa

Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

While the author has made every effort to provide accurate telephone numbers, Internet addresses, and other contact information at the time of publication, neither the publisher nor the author assumes any responsibility for errors, or for changes that occur after publication. Further, the publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

Copyright 2012 by Jon Friedman

Text design by Tiffany Estreicher

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the authors rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

PERIGEE is a registered trademark of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

The P design is a trademark belonging to Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

First edition: August 2012

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Friedman, Jon, 1955

Forget about today : Bob Dylans genius for (re)invention, shunning the naysayers, and creating a personal revolution / Jon Friedman.1st ed.

p. cm.

ISBN 978-1-101-61073-2

1. Dylan, Bob, 1941 2. Self-help techniques. I. Title.

ML420.D98F75 2012

782.42164092dc23 2012014180

Most Perigee books are available at special quantity discounts for bulk purchases for sales promotions, premiums, fund-raising, or educational use. Special books, or book excerpts, can also be created to fit specific needs. For details, write: Special Markets, Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

To Mark Friedman, Jordan Karen, Marissa Karen, and Ali Karen, the best nephews and nieces in the world: May you stay forever young!

Contents

Introduction

BOB DYLAN, A SELF-HELP GURU?

Y ou bet.

Since Dylan burst onto the music scene in 1961, critics, pundits, and fans alike have celebrated his remarkable skills as a songwriter, poet, vocalist, and performer of folk and rock n roll music. Although I agree with this assessment, I also believe that it doesnt quite do the man justice. He represents so much more to me than an entertainer.

Thats why I wanted to write this book. I think Dylan can teach people life lessons based on his mysterious genius. He stands for longevity, the quality that we all hope to achieve in our careers. Can you think of anybody in your field who has thrived for fifty-plus years and still appears to be going strong? Consider that Dylan completed work in March 2012 on his thirty-fifth studio album.

Whats most impressive about Dylans legacy is that he has accomplished everything on his own terms. If anything, Dylans closely held principles probably held him back at various times, such as when this twenty-one-year-old walked off The Ed Sullivan Show, the most popular television program of the day, because the producers wouldnt let him sing the song he had chosen for his big night. Dylan could have benefited enormously from the supersonic push from an appearance on EdSullivan. But he refused to betray his ideals.

Throughout his five-decade career, he has demonstrated time and again that he will do what he wants, and commercial incentives wont sway him off course. Its not always easy to stick to your beliefs when the promise of something great exists. I dont know how many of us would refuse to make compromises the way Dylan did.

No, we cant learn from Dylan how to write an anthem like Blowin in the Wind or sing a classic such as Like a Rolling Stone. My purpose is to go beyond the songs and try to understand how Dylan has been able to remain in our collective consciousness for all of these years.

How long has Dylan been in our lives? Remember, he arrived in Greenwich Village from his native Midwest the same week that John F. Kennedy was sworn in as the nations thirty-fifth president.

I view Dylan through a prism other than music. I consider his lifetime of success and hold him up as a role model. Indeed, Dylan inspires people. We have seen presidents, corporate titans, movie stars, athletes, and philanthropists embraced as self-help icons because they supply wisdom and give hope to their supporters. They have a great deal to offer. I put Dylan in the company of these other high achievers because we can all learn so much from studying his example of success.

Think about it. Not many people in any field can match his staying power. His ability to endure in the entertainment industry, in particular, for five decades astounds me. Dylan has thrived in the most public of professions. He has not been perfect, God knows. He has made some foolish moves, and sometimes he didnt respond automatically to the changes swirling around him. And by insisting on doing things his way all the time, he has appeared to the public to be stubborn and aloof. But after every disappointment and apparent defeat, Dylan has managed to pull himself up off the canvas.

I can respect his grit and tenacity as much as his proclivity for writing and singing Blowin in the Wind, The Times They Are a-Changin, Mr. Tambourine Man, Like a Rolling Stone, The Man in Me, Tangled Up in Blue, Every Grain of Sand, Jokerman, Not Dark Yet, Things Have Changed, Mississippi, Working Mans Blues #2, and so many other gems from his back pages.

I dont intend to write strictly about Dylans musical triumphs. Studying his life, I see him in a bigger picture. Yes, Dylan possesses special talents. But his natural ability alone is not what has enabled him to remain so relevant and vital for such a long period of time.

What has kept him in the game is his perseverance, his work ethic, his passion for doing the work, his competitiveness, and his ability to convert defeats into victories. These are also the hallmarks of any successful individual in sports or business or politics or the arts. In other words, Dylan can serve somebody as a role model in any walk of life. You dont have to be a musical peer of histhough he has influenced scores of songwriters and singersto see his value and learn from his example.