Reading Stephen Dias’ latest letter on Bob Dylan’s Nobel Prize win, has given me licence to share my heart for an artist always ahead of the curve. Though my gateway song to Bob’s music was either Knocking on Heaven’s Door or Like a Rolling Stone when I was 20, my initial encounter with Bob took place in my early teens, after seeing a promo poster for his 1997 comeback album Time Out of Mind, subtly featured in the 2007 film Alvin and The Chipmunks. Cheers to Stephen for mentioning Precious Angel in his letter, the sophomore track on Slow Train Coming, Bob's 1979 born-again album. I must confess that I’ve yet to listen to his series of bootleg albums, memorize his every lyric or drink his brand of whiskey, because I’ve come to realize, now that I’m 30, that I was and will always be a fan of Bob Dylan, more than a fan of his music. Stephen, here’s a reverse haiku for the encore: (7) We believe in Bob Dylan (5) Wherever he goes (7) Wherever he ends up first.
ROSS LOPES, Mapusa
