Chronicles: Volume One

Chronicles is largely a story of art and music as imitation and inheritance. The text charts Dylan’s multitude of early influences, from musicians like Woody Guthrie and Dave Van Ronk to visual artists like Picasso and Red Grooms. It explores how he absorbed art, music, culture, and history, learning from those around him until he was ready to channel this accumulation of knowledge and inspiration into his own work. As folk music is traditionally passed down orally, imitation is an integral part of the genre. Chronicles illustrates how Dylan expanded on that tradition, embracing a diverse array of influences to write his songs.

Dylan began his foray into folk music by learning songs from records and fellow musicians. He was “into […] the traditional stuff with a capital T” (228) and had no particular interest in writing his own songs. These early learnings, along with his apprenticeship under artists like Woody Guthrie and Dave Von Ronk, reflected the oral tradition of folk music. At the Gaslight club in Greenwich, Dylan would watch Van Ronk play, feeling as if he “was sitting at the feet of a timeworn monument” (261), absorbing all the lessons he could from the more seasoned artist.