Reactions To Dylan’s Nobel Win

From Billy Bragg to Stephen King, some reactions to Bob Dylan winning the Nobel Prize in literature on Thursday:

Photo: David Vincent/AP, file
Les Vieilles Charrues Festival in Carhaix, western France.

Congratulations Bob for getting the Nobel prize. What an achievement! – Mick Jagger on Twitter.

Congratulations to one of my favorite poets, Bob Dylan, on a well-deserved Nobel – President Barack Obama.

Bob Dylan is the father of my country. “Highway 61 Revisited” and “Bringing It All Back Home” were not only great records, but they were the first time I can remember being exposed to a truthful vision of the place I lived. – Bruce Springsteen, who posted this passage from his autobiography “Born to Run.”

I’m a Dylan fan, but this is an ill-conceived nostalgia award wrenched from the rancid prostates of senile, gibbering hippies – “Trainspotting” novelist Irvine Welsh on Twitter.

We live in a time of great lyricist-songwriters – Leonard Cohen, Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell, Tom Waits – but Dylan towers over everyone. His words have been an inspiration to me ever since I first heard a Dylan album at school, and I am delighted by his Nobel win. The frontiers of literature keep widening, and it’s exciting that the Nobel prize recognises that. I intend to spend the day playing “Mr. Tambourine Man,” ‘‘Love Minus Zero/ No Limit,” ‘‘Like a Rolling Stone,” ‘‘Idiot Wind,” ‘‘Jokerman,” ‘‘Tangled Up In Blue” and “A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall.” – Salman Rushdie in a statement.

Many congratulations to @bobdylan on the Nobel Prize for Literature! – The estate of George Harrison on Twitter.

Congratulations Bob Dylan. U always been the main man, our poet, & all around cool cat. Are we rolling Bob? You bet we are. Keep it going Bobby. – Danny DeVito.

Asked about Nobel for Dylan: inspired & original choice. his haunting music & lyrics have always seemed, in the deepest sense, “literary” – Joyce Carol Oates on Twitter.

Photo: AP Photo
Beijing Workers Gymnasium, Beijing, China

A poet of our time, and a sweet man every time our paths crossed – Bill Wyman, former member of The Rolling Stones in a statement – Bill Wyman, former member of The Rolling Stones in a statement.

 “Yes to dance beneath a diamond sky with one hand waving free…” for this alone Bob Dylan deserves the Nobel Prize – Billy Bragg on Twitter.

For all the foibles of the prize and its selection committee, can we just bask for a little while in this one? The wheel turns and sometimes it stops right on the nose – Writer and editor David Remnick on newyorker.com.

Congratulations Bob! You made all our lives better. Thank you for the warning about what was to come (Subterranean Homesick Blues) – musician Stevie Van Zandt on Twitter.

Now I can say I’ve been in a music video of a Nobel Prize winner. Congratulations Bob – actress Molly Ringwald, who appeared in Dylan’s video for “Unbelievable,” on Twitter.

I am ecstatic that Bob Dylan has won the Nobel. A great and good thing in a season of sleaze and sadness – author Stephen King.

Congratulations to my friend Bob Dylan winner of the 2016 #NobelPrize in Literature. His music and lyrics have been a source of inspiration – Bianca Jagger in a tweet.