The Last Individualist

An illuminating memoir and portrait of Bob Dylan’s return to Minnesota after the making of Infidels, featuring a long-lost 1983 interview, rare photographs, and intimate insights. Bob Dylan: The Last Individualist offers a vivid, behind-the-scenes look at a pivotal moment in Dylan’s career. With rare access and insight, music journalist Martin Keller chronicles Dylan’s retreat to his native Minnesota, where he would often recharge. Drawing on a recently recovered interview from 1983, previously unpublished photographs, and firsthand reporting, this book offers a new look behind the scenes. Keller reveals how a more downhome tempo of life and the strength of enduring friendships sparked an invigorating new phase following Dylan’s polarizing religious period. This intimate profile also illuminates Dylan’s fiercely independent spirit. Renowned for defying labels and reinventing himself on his own terms, he consistently rejected expectations—musical, cultural, or political—in favor of authenticity. His unwavering commitment to creative freedom and refusal to be defined by others underscore his musical legacy. For Dylan fans looking to go beyond the lyrics and get a true glimpse of one of music's most original and enduring voices. Their friendship, rooted in their Jewish upbringing, never wavered despite Kegan’s disability. GREAT MINNESOTA MUSIC SCENE: Martin Keller talks about Dylan’s impact on the local music scene, along with mentions of Paul Westerberg, Leo Kottke, Bob Mould, and, of course, Prince.