Acclaimed cultural critic Greil Marcus tells the story of Bob Dylan through the lens of seven penetrating songs

“Marcus delivers yet another essential work of music journalism.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Further elevates Marcus to what he has always been: a supreme artist-critic.”—Hilton Als

“Greil Marcus is already the most important chronicler of Dylan. But here he outdoes himself.”—Rachel Kushner

Across seven decades, Bob Dylan has been the first singer of American song. As a writer and performer, he has rewritten the national songbook in a way that comes from his own vision and yet can feel as if it belongs to anyone who might listen.

In Folk Music, Greil Marcus tells Dylan’s story through seven of his most transformative songs. Marcus’s point of departure is Dylan’s ability to “see myself in others.” Like Dylan’s songs, this book is a work of implicit patriotism and creative skepticism. It illuminates Dylan’s continuing presence and relevance through his empathy—his imaginative identification with other people. This is not only a deeply felt telling of the life and times of Bob Dylan, but a rich history of American folk songs and the new life they were given as Dylan sat down to write his own.