Bob Dylan reveals that he used “autopen” for recent book signatures
Bob Dylan has apologised on social media for the mishandled release of his latest book, The Philosophy of Modern Song, with multiple fans purchasing signed copies only to later discover that the signatures were mere reproductions.
Taking to social media to apologise on November 25th, Dylan claimed that he used an autopen for the signatures due to a “bad case of vertigo”. The signed books, which cost $599 each, contain Dylan’s commentary on 66 songs by other artists, and are the first to be released since the artist was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2016 for “having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition”.
On Facebook, he stated: “I’ve hand-signed each and every art print over the years, and there’s never been a problem. However, in 2019 I had a bad case of vertigo and it continued into the pandemic years. It takes a crew of five working in close quarters with me to help enable these signing sessions, and we could not find a safe and workable way to complete what I needed to do while the virus was raging”.
Continuing, he adds: “So, during the pandemic, it was impossible to sign anything and the vertigo didn’t help. With contractual deadlines looming, the idea of using an autopen was suggested to me, along with the assurance that this kind of thing is done ‘all the time’ in the art and literary worlds. Using a machine was an error in judgment and I want to rectify it immediately”.
Along with Dylan’s statement, publishers Simon & Schuster also addressed the mistake, apologising alongside the artist who finished his post on Facebook by saying, “With my deepest regrets, Bob Dylan”.
Take a look at the full social media post from Dylan, below.
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