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04/02/2008

Dylan’s 11 Outlined Epitaphs

OK. I remembered that Dylan’s 11 Outlined Epitaphs, an early indication that here was a serious writer, is reprinted on the sleeve notes of The Times They Are A-Changin’, in Lyrics 1962-1985 (but not, surprisingly, in Lyrics 1962-2001) and also on bobdylan.com.

But, on a trip to Vienna last week, I still couldn’t resist buying a copy of Bob Dylan Eleven Outlined Epitaphs/Elf Entwurfe fur meinen Grabspruch, by Wolf Biermann.

Why, I wondered later, had I shelled out 18 euro on a little book whose English text I already had several times over and whose German translation I’d struggle to appreciate?

Simply because it’s a beautiful artefact, maybe the finest looking book in my Dylan collection. Presented in the small hardback format familiar to poetry readers, Biermann’s translation is an art object. It subtly underlines Dylan’s position as a creative artist bridging the yawning gulf between pop and high culture.

If you’re a collector, it’s a fine addition to the shelves.

Bob Dylan Eleven Outlined Epitaphs/Elf Entwurfe fur meinen Grabspruch, by Wolf Biermann, Kiepenheuer & Witsch, Koln, hbk, 157pp, 2003, euro18.

www.kiwi-koeln.de


Gerry Smith

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