The cat is out of the box: The 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature will be awarded to the American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan.
In a short interview the Swedish Academy’s permanent secretary, Sara Danius, explained the Academy’s somewhat controversial choice by comparing Mr. Dylan with Homer and Sappho.
Apart from having to memorize and sing ”Blowing in the Wind” back in school, I am not very familiar with Mr. Dylan’s works. Therefore, I naturally hurried to find out more about this modern-day Homer and Sappho. And I soon found some pretty awesome stuff, too, truly and deeply memorable lines like
”My feet are so tired
my brain is so wired”
and
”I feel no pain
tonight as I stand inside the rain
Everybody knows
Honey’s got new clothes”
In your face(s), Homer and Sappho.