Come writers and critics …

The Sunday Hibbing Daily Tribune ran a Melissa Cox story about the Dylan Days Creative Writing Contest. I am one of the organizers of Dylan Days, an annual arts event in Hibbing, Minnesota, that celebrates Bob Dylan, literature, music and visual art. This year the event runs from May 21-24, 2009. The writing contest and literary showcase is just one part of what’s become a successful grassroots showcase of the Iron Range arts community and Bob Dylan’s unique background in his hometown of Hibbing. The contest deadline is March 15. There are cash prizes and publication honors for poems, short stories and one-act plays.

Here’s some of my quote from the today’s Tribune story:

… we hope to demonstrate to the world that Hibbing and the Iron Range have an artistic core that you don’t always see on first glance,” he said. “The Range is a great place to be a writer, providing all the elements of great fiction, poetry and drama.”

When asked why it’s important to provide this opportunity, Brown responded, “it’s not easy for writers.”

“No one pays them for much and 90 percent of what they do involves being rejected,” he said. “As a midsized contest with a unique focus, we give a huge number of first-time publication credits for young writers and writers who may have worked a long time to improve their craft.”

Brown noted that entrants do not have to duplicate the style of Bob Dylan or write about him.

“That’s not what this is about,” he said. “Dylan became a legend because of his uniqueness and creative turns of an old craft. That’s the spirit we hope to instill in the next generation of writers, poets, playwrights and songwriters.”

Additionally, the group that runs the Dylan Days Benefit Concert announced its lineup for the 2009 show. It’s a reprise of the Rolling Thunder Revue, featuring violinist Scarlet Rivera and Gene LeFond and the Wild Unknown. You can get tickets to that May 23 show at the Hibbing High School auditorium here. Most other Dylan Days events are accessible for free with the wearing of a Dylan Days commemorative pin. Other annual traditions include a singer/songwriter contest, art contest, the Bobby Zimmerman bus tour and lots and lots of live music. Find out more.

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