Rising from the work-filled, smoke-filled gloom as more than a thousand wild fires threaten California, I feel that I have to take exception with my former friend Germaine Greer who, writing in The Guardian, seems to feel the need to draw attention to herself by rubbishing the work of Bob Dylan, in a screed so demented and without reason that I hardly feel the need to refute her tediously, wafer thin argument that she actually managed to collapse herself in the final line.
"Great lyricists? Bah! Humbug! In the 1960s and 70s, I battled students who wanted me to teach Bob Dylan rather than Donne or Yeats. Ever since, I have had screeds of stuff sent to me by people who thought that rhyme equalled reason, to whom I had gently to explain that their agonised posturings wouldn't pass for poetry. I blame Dylan. In my eyes, he wasn't fit to tie Woody Guthrie's shoelaces. I have never forgiven him for keeping his fans waiting at the Isle of Wight festival in 1969 for three hours, from 9 o'clock till midnight, before he would sing a word. Creeps sometimes make good poets, but Bob Zimmerman isn't one of them." (Click for the full measure of nonsense and the payoff)
The secret word is Imbecilic
I hate it when old friends do stuff like that. Especially comparing Morrisey favorably to Blake? Comparing Morrisey favorably to Blake? I mean, you can diss Dylan if you want. His position will not be shaken, but why stop there? Dylan wasn't much of a song writer compared to Mozart...or Barry Manilow. Jeez, Germaine Greer used to be so smart she scared me a little.
ReplyDeletehahaha! jeezus, i stopped reading when she says "nor is it prose, because it doesn't make sense."
ReplyDeleteWhy should she like Dylan if she refutes most of the best 20th Century writing?
the secret word is James Joyce
Jon, I believe the comparison might be because of that very eloquent line in "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now":
ReplyDelete"Mutual fear brings peace,
Till the selfish love increase"
Back to Celebrity Big Brother, Greer
ReplyDeleteShe was never a friend. She may have had a point, once, but Lord knows what it was. Her one reason for living these days seems to be to hog as much damn UK airtime as possible. I just wish she'd go tend her bloody garden and shut up.
ReplyDelete