This Magic Moment: Nobel Spotlight On Oslo and Hibbing Today and a Gubernatorial Proclamation

Today in Oslo the Nobel Peace Prize will be awarded to Juan Manuel Santos, the president of Colombia, "for his resolute efforts to bring the country's more than 50-year-long civil war to an end." Also on this day Nobel Medals, Diplomas and Prizes will be awarded in Stockholm for Physics, Chemistry, Medicine and Literature. If you have ever wondered why these prizes are awarded on December 10 each year, it is to honor the anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death, as stipulated in the will of the Swedish-born inventor and international industrialist Alfred Nobel, which was opened after his death in 1896, 120 years ago today.

Is it a big deal? You bet. And it's a pretty big deal here in northern Minnesota, too, as one of these recipients will be the Northland's own Bob Dylan.

In Duluth, where the infant Robert was born to Abe & Beatty Zimmerman, the News Tribune has run a number of articles and opinion pieces in this week leading up to today's ceremony. Last Sunday's Opinion page included several. Wednesday, the paper printed a "Local View" editorial by Don Dass, Dylan’s Nobel a confirmation of Duluth’s vibrant arts scene, in which he compares the many parallels to our first Duluth resident to have received a Nobel Prize for Literature.

Writes Dass: "For Dylan, the association with Duluth is of the most basic and indelible kind. He drew his first breath here, took his first drink of water, walked his first steps, spoke his first words, and, certainly, heard and sang his first songs. It was here, too, that his father was stricken with polio. He repeatedly and fondly has recalled Duluth and Hibbing, directly and indirectly, in songs and interviews. Anecdotes still have him making occasional quiet visits to the area."

And today's DNT features another area voice, this one a board member of the Armory Arts & Music Center and volunteer on our Duluth Dylan Fest committee, Nelson French, titled Nobel winner Dylan a clear product of our ‘North Country’.

French, whose brother owns the home in Hibbing that the Zimmerman family once occupied, writes, "Mr. Dylan reflects the true nature of the bard and troubadour with traditional folk roots in his approach to connecting the past to the present and to the future via his timeless words and music. Much of his work has been borrowed from the past, reflecting the best of “Love and Theft” traditions in poetry and music, a recognition of the fact that all things in this life are connected and continuous. In his songs and words there is a certain truth and connection to the human condition, something that resonates with many: thus his importance as a figure in music and poetry history."

He reminds us that Dylan's "roots in the North Country — both in place and time — were very critical in shaping him and the path he chose to pursue in life. The North Country can be broadly defined as Duluth, the Iron Range, the nearby wilderness areas, and the culturally diverse people who populate this place. The time Mr. Dylan was raised and educated here is inextricably linked to a critical time in the history of our nation and the world."

In England, 2002*

This is why there is value in our gathering today to honor Dylan here in the North Country. As has been cited here before, the North Country contributed to making him who he was, and he's carried that spirit within him ever since.

Today Governor Mark Dayton is slated to visit Hibbing to make an announcement at 3:00 p.m. this afternoon stating that today is officially Bob Dylan Day in Minnesota. (The actual proclamation is at the end of this blog post.)

A lot has happened in Northern Minnesota since mid-October when the Swedish Academy announced that this year's Nobel Prize in Literature was to be awarded to Bob Dylan "for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition." Almost immediately there were discussions about fund raising to build a statue. But people close to Mr. Dylan were quick to note that Bob Dylan really didn't want a statue. As soon as this became apparent other kinds of ideas began emerging. Yesterday Minnesota Public Radio did this story about the matter.

For those unaware of the details, the Nobel Prize celebrations are a week long event. According to Annika Pontikis, Director of Communications for the Nobel Foundation, "the Nobel Prize Award Ceremony starts at 16.30 CET. The presentation speech about Bob Dylan will be given at 17.10 CET and Patti Smith will perform at around 17.15 CET."

For those hoping to follow the event live, 16.30 is 4:30 p.m. there and 9:30 a.m. here in the Northland. This means the speech will be given at 10:10 a.m. here.

I learned this morning from Ms. Pontikis that earlier this autumn, even before Bob Dylan was announced as Nobel Laureate in Literature, "Patti Smith was asked to participate in a full day meeting on December 9 called Nobel Week Dialogue." When Patti Smith sings A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall, it will be a song that she has chosen herself.

Dylan's silence about the initial award left some people either annoyed or confused. But when Bob Dylan called Sara Danius, Permanent Secretary of the Swedish Academy, he stated simply, "The news about the Nobel Prize left me speechless. I appreciate the honor so much.”

Since the Nobel Prize is regarded by far as the most prestigious prize in the world, the Award Ceremonies as well as the Banquets in Stockholm and Oslo today have been transformed from local Swedish and Norwegian arrangements into major international events that receive worldwide coverage by the print media, radio and television.

To say this is an exciting day is an understatement. Temps have been dropping this week here in the Northland, but hearts have been greatly warmed.

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Below is a copy of the proclamation that Governor Mark Dayton is scheduled to be making at 3:00 p.m. this afternoon. You can probably read it more clearly on this page. The last "whereas" declares, "Dylan's legacy is such that generations of people in the United States and around the world will know and celebrate his immense contributions to American literary culture and popular song..."

*Photo credit being sought for In England 2002.

Countdown to Saturday: Nobel Prize Stirs Northland Dylan Fans

One thing Dylan's Nobel Prize selection has done is provide alternative subject matter to the recent election pyrotechnics. First there was ink spilled regarding the selection itself, which included stories about purportedly "worthier" candidates. Then there were all the stories (nearly 2 weeks' worth) questioning why Mr. Dylan did not respond immediately. This was followed by analysis of his cryptic response once he did reply, stating he "would be there... if able." This past week the word on the street is that Patti Smith will be the one to receive the award on his behalf and will read his acceptance speech. She will also sing "Hard Rain's Gonna Fall," one of the great songs of all time. (EdNote: I did not say, "one of the great Dylan songs of all time." This is, I believe, one of the greatest songs ever written. Period. No hyperbole, which I tend to be fond of on occasion.)

In the Northland, the big event that regional Dylan fans are looking forward to is a December 10 gathering of the Hibbing Dylan Project at the Androy Hotel in Hibbing, where young Robert Zimmerman famously came of age, so to speak. What originally began as a discussion about how to raise money to build a statue to honor the hometown boy who made good has evolved. When Craig Hattam and the organizers learned from Dylan's management team that Bob wouldn't want a statue it was quickly nixed. He'd rather have any money raised go to helping people in some way.

A meeting was then announced for his Saturday, the day the prize will be awarded, to discuss what the local community might be able to do. But even this is evolving. Governor Mark Dayton is using the occasion to declare December 10 "Bob Dylan Day" in Minnesota. I cannot attest to the depth of Governor Dayton's fandom, but I will say that his handlers are wise to encourage his participation here this weekend.

Today I saw a pair of stories on Flipboard pertaining to Dyan's influence. The first, an article from Rolling Stone in which Stephen King defended the Nobel Prize committee's selection. Kudos to King, who said rather pointedly,"People complaining about his Nobel either don't understand or it's just a plain old case of sour grapes." The second, was an article in which former vice president Al Gore cited Dylan's influence on his own social consciousness.

A friend from Chicago sent me a link to this weekend's Chicago Tribune story about Dylan's roots in northern Minnesota. The article includes a nice photo of the tip of Lake Superior kissing the Duluth shoreline with our skyline as a backdrop.  And speaking of Duluth, the News Tribune did a nice tribute on its editorial page this Sunday.

Then there's the Wall Street Journal story by Gabriel Rubin, a Chicago-based WSJ journalist, who made the trek up here early in the week before to feel the pulse as we proceed toward the day.

And then there's this piece from the Minneapolis Star Tribune. I think the photo at the top says it all. Dylan's having fun, here, and whatever happens this really is a very special moment for the man.

Whether you're planning to attend or following from afar, the best way to stay current is to tap into The Hibbing Dylan Project on Facebook.

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How big is a Nobel Prize? No question it's a tremendous honor that is bestowed with gravity and acknowledged by many to be "the biggest award on earth." That's why as a young writer I made the Prize a facet of the story "Liz Mills," which appears in my volume of short stories Newmanesque.

Meantime, life goes on.... all around you. Will I see you in Hibbing?