Or poetry like Bob Kaufman. Or Anne Carson. Or so many other truly gifted poets who are poets (not songwriters) and contemporaries of Dylan.

Dylan was at one time a great songwriter. By his own admission, he ain't anymore. He was never a gifted poet. Only people who never read poetry believe that hype.

And here is what I can't figure out. Why can't Dylan still write great songs like he used to? I mean, many of the best songwriters down through the ages just got better with age, not worse.

So was I surprised to hear Dylan admit the obvious last night about his former songwriting glory years? No. But I found it very odd that he didn't seem to give a shit about the fact either. Like I said, not much to indicate that he is a very reflective person at all.

Which made me think that maybe selling out is the key. After you sell out, there isn't the same impetus to write as there was before he cynically sold himself out.

And his comments like "I can do other things now" (really Bob, like what?), and that he was still touring because it was his destiny/soul's purpose, just sounded empty, hollow, and sad--not at all genuine. Did anyone else notice that?