"Across seven decades, Bob Dylan has been the first singer of American song. As a writer and performer, he has rewritten the national songbook in a way that comes from his own vision and yet can feel as if it belongs to anyone who might listen. In Folk Music, Greil Marcus tells Dylan's story through seven of his most transformative songs. Marcus's point of departure is Dylan's ability to "see myself in others." Like Dylan's songs, this book is a work of implicit patriotism and creative skepticism. It illuminates Dylan's continuing presence and relevance through his empathy-his imaginative identification with other people. This is not only a deeply felt telling of the life and times of Bob Dylan, but a rich history of American folk songs and the new life they were given as Dylan sat down to write his own."--

Through the lens of four seminal concerts, acclaimed poet and biographer Daniel Mark Epstein offers an intimate, vivid, and comprehensive portrait of Bob Dylan. Beginning in 1963, Epstein revisits Dylan's early struggles to find artistic direction; his transition from folk icon to rock star; and his secluded family life and divorce. A breathtaking account of Dylan's Never Ending Tour and his contemporary studio sessions brings us full circle, revealing how Dylan revived a flagging career and accepted his role as the Éminence grise of rock and roll today. Drawing on new interviews with those closest to Dylan—including Maria Muldaur, Nora Guthrie, and Ramblin' Jack Elliott— The Ballad of Bob Dylan is a singular take on an artist who has transformed generations and continues to inspire and surprise today.

"Documents the triumphs and missteps of the singer's fledgling record company, Rising Son Records, and traces the chronology of Guthrie's mid- to-late career. Also examines Guthrie's role in preserving and shaping his father's contributions to American culture and his long-lasting partnership with Pete Seeger" --