Bob Dylan apologises over controversial detail in new book
<p dir="ltr">Bob Dylan has issued an apology to fans who paid hundreds for his new book and discovered that they were signed using a machine, despite being advertised as “hand-signed”.</p>
<p dir="ltr">It emerged that the 900 copies of <em>Philosophy of Modern Song</em>, which set fans back $US 599 ($NZ 965) per book, all included identical versions of the star’s singer after fans compared notes online.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Taking to social media, Dylan addressed the controversy and explained that he used an autopen - a device that allows signatures to be printed on demand - due to the COVID-19 pandemic and health issues that prevented him from signing them individually.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“I’ve hand-signed each and every art print over the years, and there’s never been a problem,” the 81-year-old <a href="https://www.facebook.com/bobdylan/posts/pfbid02smguWn7EsFwrKGqU8VkTyDr8LgoNeh5ogh6oCvQLDdkiPBLFw5R8woWwgKtw3dWRl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“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 while the virus was raging.</p>
<p><span id="docs-internal-guid-5d4cef7c-7fff-194a-ab74-38151e1dc89c"></span></p>
<p dir="ltr">“So, during the pandemic, it was impossible to sign anything and the vertigo didn’t help.”</p>
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<p dir="ltr">Dylan continued to explain that looming deadlines saw him consider a suggestion to use an autopen, which he was told was something done “‘all the time’ in the art and literary worlds”.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“Using a machine was an error in judgement and I want to rectify it immediately,” he concluded.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“I’m working with Simon & Schuster and my gallery partners to do just that.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">Days earlier, the publisher issued a statement regarding the signatures featured in the books.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Simon & Schuster confirmed that the books have Dylan’s “original signature” but that it was a “penned replica form”, saying that those who had purchased the books would receive an immediate refund.</p>
<p dir="ltr">"To those who purchased the <em>Philosophy of Modern Song </em>limited edition, we want to apologise," the publisher <a href="https://twitter.com/simonschuster/status/1594437832726040576" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted</a>.</p>
<p dir="ltr">"As it turns out, the limited-edition books do contain Bob's original signature, but in a penned replica form. We are addressing this information by providing each purchaser with an immediate refund."</p>
<p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4c952972-7fff-3cdf-e673-044c8b68308f"></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty Images / Instagram</em></p>
