I’m done with this week. It’s been a shit-show, so I’m going to do something I had originally planned not to. I’m going to open my mouth and say too much on this Bob Dylan Nobel Prize nonsense.

Writing lyrics is tricky. In order to get the right words to match the flow of the music you wish to perform, one goes through a long process of soul searching, and back in my old days-SMOKING. It’s work. It takes grit. BUT it does not come from the same place as crafting literature and chiseling out a story. Not at-fucking-all.

Poetry and lyrics are not the same. I must note that my writing Yoda, a best selling author I look to for kernels of wisdom at times, does not agree with me at all and I can be a complete asshole sometimes. To some of you I am being that right now, and I apologize if you disagree and are offended by my perspective. But what the flying fuck?

Why isn’t there a Nobel Prize for musical compositions? Duke Ellington, Claude Debussy, hell, Billy Joel (who composes lovely symphonic pieces), all deserve a Nobel Prize for music. As does Bob Dylan. There is no arguing that.

Offering the Nobel Prize in literature-works intended to be read or recited, not played to music-to a folk singer is not only an insult to authors, it is an insult to musicians. Poetry and lyrics are similar but they are not the same. They come from different place. I should know, I have written poetry, lyrics, and novels. All of which take a different creative process, structure, and publishing route.

And to all of you Dylan supporters who put on a smug facade and call those of us who don’t appreciate this “jealous,” I promise you I know that I will never be good enough to win a Nobel prize in literature (at this point I don’t even want to try because they’ll just give the award to some musician). I am not upset for my current works. I am upset for future works. What are we saying to young writers? I am appalled that Bob Dylan won the Nobel Prize in literature before Stephen fucking King.

He is the face of modern literature, whether you appreciate his writing or not. I am offended for Neil Gaiman, a man who has written in nearly every gods damn genre that fucking exists. Shit, Ishmael Beah is 100 times more fucking deserving. He wrote about his experiences being forced into becoming a childhood soldier and UNICEF’s efforts to help free him. Every author out there has been pushed aside.

This is par for the course though. It reminds me of when The Martian won an award for best comedy. Yeah, COMEDY. Comedians everywhere still cringe at that, as do I. What bothers me most is that this sets a precedent. I can’t wait for Stevie Nicks to win next year, or how about Enya? (Oh wait, they’re women-no rule bending for them-yeah I fucking went there)

I am livid.

No audio book will win a Grammy for best album. You know why? Because that is NOT what the award is intended for. Create a fucking category for musical compositions. This is why writers don’t trust the selection processes of any awards, because everything seems to be staged, and this is coming from an author who recently won an award. Anytime I am even nominated for something I feel as if I’m not worthy. I’m probably not, looking at this bullshit.

Reading is sacred. Listening to music is healing. They engage two different fucking senses. the best thing I read on this was a tweet from a follower that simply said: I get it Nobel Prize committee, reading is hard.

And that sums it up. Once again authors are pushed aside for a more “popular” art form.

I would die without music, but I would be starving without good literature. Please respect both art forms equally and award them for what they are. Stop trying to combine the arts to save time or money or create a scandal that gets everyone talking about it. It’s insulting.