Like a Rolling Stone
Dylan Inducted Into Arts Academy
Bob Dylan in 1966. (Jerry Schatzberg/Columbia Records/AP)
The poet laureate of the rock-and-roll era joined the ranks of some of the greatest writers, composers, painters, and sculptors in the world Wednesday night at an energetic induction ceremony at the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Michael Chabon, an award-winning American author and the event’s keynote speaker, delivered a speech to the audience titled “Rock ’n’ Roll”—an idea he insists was conceived before he knew Dylan was nominated. The event made history, marking the first time a rock-and-roller has been welcomed into the academy since its founding in 1898.