It Ain't Me Babe: Bob Dylan and the Performance of Authenticity

Bob Dylan has always been something of a mystery. He has been poet, rocker, preacher, trickster, and prophet, and he has filled all these personas with songs and different voices. Nonetheless, Dylan has always been perceived as an "authentic" artist. Andrea Cossu brings the "making of Bob Dylan" to center stage in this new book, which offers a strikingly fresh explanation of Dylan and the changes he made throughout his career. Cossu's enjoyable descriptions of key Dylan performances show us how Dylan created his authenticity through performance, and how the many attempts to make "Bob Dylan" have often involved the interaction between the artist, his public image, and his many audiences.