Shakin’ on Your Bones

Bob Dylan and Embodied Experience

Abstract

Bob Dylan’s body of work has been the subject of substantial analysis and criticism, with particular emphasis on his lyrics and social significance. As the winner of the 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature, Dylan has been regarded not only as a singer, but also as a poet, and scholars have regarded his work in a literary context (though a fair number of detractors have questioned whether Dylan’s work constitutes “literature.”). And though hundreds of books and articles have tried to shed light on Dylan’s prolific body of work as both a writer and performing artist, little attention has been dedicated to the idea of embodiment as a vehicle for understanding Dylan as an artist. In this paper, I advance the idea that embodied experience permeates Dylan’s oeuvre, and that a look at Dylan’s songs and performances through the lens of embodiment may potentially enhance one’s understanding and appreciation of his work.