Key developments
Rare I'm Not There lyrics up for auction
Omega Auctions will sell Bob Dylan's typewritten working lyrics for I'm Not There on April 21 during its Audio Equipment and Music Memorabilia sale. The manuscript is on lined paper measuring about 21 by 18 centimeters, torn along the lower edge, and shows several working amendments. Its provenance traces to a first paperback edition of Allen Ginsberg's Ankor Wat, inscribed to Sally Grossman; the lyrics are believed to have stayed in the book since 1969.
Why it matters
It is a rare primary Dylan artifact with unusually specific provenance, making the auction a useful gauge of collector demand.
Sources & driving stories
HYPEBEAST
Hypebeast coverageWorth noting
WORTH NOTING
Forever Young analysis published today
A new Bob Dylan blog post dissects the song's repetition and 1972 composition context, but it adds interpretation rather than new reporting.
WORTH NOTING
Street-Legal closing track reexamined
American Songwriter revisits Where Are You Tonight? and its 1977–78 backdrop, offering fresh framing rather than fresh facts.
WORTH NOTING
Rough and Rowdy Ways praise piece
Another American Songwriter article again frames the 2020 album as a late-career standout, but it does not introduce new developments.
Still unclear
OPEN QUESTION
What will the manuscript fetch?
The April 21 auction could signal how strongly collectors value rare Dylan working manuscripts with documented provenance.
OPEN QUESTION
Can the Ankor Wat provenance be verified further?
The manuscript's link to Sally Grossman's copy of Ginsberg's book is central to its authenticity and value.
