The Ballad of Bob Dylan: A Portrait

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Through the lens of four seminal concerts,acclaimed poet and biographer DanielMark Epstein offers an intimate, nuancedlook at Bob Dylan: a vivid, full-bodiedportrait of one of the most influential artistsof the twentieth century, from his birth tothe Never Ending Tour. Beginning with 1963's Lisner Auditoriumconcert in Washington, D.C., Epstein revisitsDylan's astonishing rise as the darling ofthe folk revival, focusing on the people andbooks that shaped him, and his struggle tofind artistic direction on the road in the1960s. Madison Square Garden, 1974, shedslight on Dylan's transition from folk iconto rock star, his family life in seclusion,his subsequent divorce, and his highly anticipatedreturn to touring. Tanglewood,1997, reveals how Dylan revived his flaggingcareer in the late 1990s-largelyunder the influence of Jerry Garcia-discoveringnew ways of singing and connectingwith his audience, and assembling the greatbands for his Never Ending Tour. In abreathtaking account of the Time Out of Mindsessions, Epstein provides the most completepicture yet of Dylan's contemporary workin the studio, his acceptance of his laurels,and his role as the eminence grise ofrock and roll today. Aberdeen, 2009, bringsus full circle, detailing the making of Dylan'striumphant albums of the 2000s, as well ashis long-running radio show. Drawing on anecdotes and insights fromnew interviews with those closest to theman-including Maria Muldaur, Happy Traum,D. A. Pennebaker, Nora Guthrie, Ramblin' JackElliott, and Dylan's sidemen throughout the years-The Ballad of Bob Dylan is a singulartake on an artist who has transformed generationsand, as he enters his eighth decade,continues to inspire and surprise today.

Daniel Mark Epstein has written more than fifteen books of poetry, biography, and history, including the award-winning Lincoln and Whitman and The Lincolns: Portrait of a Marriage, named one of the top ten books of the year by the Wall Street Journal and Chicago Sun-Times.

"What sets Epstein's book apart is its accessibility. . . . Epstein is refreshingly direct and approachable, and while the author, also a folk musician, makes much of his extensive quotes from Dylan's lyrics, it is his own clear, emotional enthusiasm that carries the tale." -- Rob Fitzpatrick, Sunday Times (London) "If you like Keith Richards' Life, then read The Ballad of Bob Dylan. Just in time for the musician's 70th birthday, Daniel Mark Epstein's biography offers a vivid portrait of the visionary artist." -- US Weekly "Offers a portrait that explodes the semi-hostile cliche of much unauthorized biography. New interviews and photographs add depth to an account distinguished by a fine sensitivity to all aspects of Dylan's art, from the personal to the music's history." -- Tim Martin, Telegraph (London) "Brilliant--that Daniel Mark Epstein is both a poet and a biographer stands him in good stead in this penetrating, compassionate (but utterly clear-eyed), beautifully written portrait of Bob Dylan as an artist and a man. Among the very best writing about Dylan, ever." -- James Kaplan, author of Frank: The Voice "In The Ballad of Bob Dylan, Daniel Mark Epstein does what few have been able to do at all, much less this well: capture that spirit, and in so doing, somehow manage to get closer to the essence of an American icon." -- Dave Moyer, New York Journal of Books