A Freewheelin’ Time - A Memoir of Greenwich Village in the Sixties by Suze Rotolo
As someone who’s read their fair share of Bob Dylan books, I was always going to be interested in ‘A freewheelin’ time’ by Suze Rotolo. It’s been on my radar since it’s release back in 2008, but somehow I’d kept putting it off. It was the release of ‘A complete unknown’ that finally made me check out this memoir of the woman arm in arm with Dylan on the front of ‘The Freewheelin’ album.
Dylan
Obviously as a self confessed Dylan nut, it was the parts about himself as a young man that I was most interested in before I started the book. I loved his own ‘Chronicles Volume 1’ (any sign of volume 2 Bob?) which includes his arrival to New York in the sixties. He’s obviously famous for being fairly elusive, part of his mystique, but I was interested in hearing from someone who was by hisside during these formative years.
I was interested in hearing about his creative processes, his influences during this period. Who and what shaped him, what was he like? And of course, the woman who was the muse behind some of his greatest songs - ‘Don’t think twice it’s alright’ ‘Boots of Spanish Leather’ and ‘Tomorrow is a long time’ - is best placed of all to tell us.
Suze Rotolo
I knew little about Suze Rotolo before I started and a lot more by the books end. Rotolo’s own life, her politics and her part in what was happening culturally at the time, I found really interesting. She’s an engaging writer, and I was hooked pretty early.
Born of communist parents, she was always going to be interested in politics, and we hear of her life in Queens in the forties and fifties, and her introduction to the folk/political scene of the time.
She has her own creative life, both in the theatre and in politics. One particular section see’s her travelling to Cuba, where she meets Che Guevara and Fidel Castro. Later, it’s also interesting how she falls out of favour with radical politics.
She introduces Dylan to the work of Brecht (In chronicles, Dylan talks about attending a play Rotolo was working on). If you’ve an interest in the music and performers of the period, many of the names will be familiar - Van Ronk, Phil Ochs, Pete Seeger Odetta, even Edie Sedgewick and Andy Warhol pop up. And of course the venues - Gerdes Folk Club, Bleeker st and The Gaslight among them.
Relationship
Dylan’s from a small town in Minnesota, so when he arrives in New York, and is introduced to someone so beautiful and plugged into what’s going on, he’s going to be smitten. He says as much himself in Chronicles:
‘I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She was the most erotic thing I’d ever seen. We started talking and my head started to spin. Cupids arrow had whistled past my ears before, but this time it hit me in the heart and the weight of it dragged me overboard.’
Their relationship comes across as quite sweet - there are some lovely descriptions of things they did - going to see Guernica at MOMA, and the part she plays in soothing a disagreement with Van Ronk, after Bob engages in a little musical magpie ‘borrowing’.
Rotolo does a great job of telling us of Dylan’s faults in the relationship, whilst never coming across as bitter. It’s pretty clear Dylan is 21 year old still with plenty of growing up to do, and he makes mistakes. There are a number of occasions when she mentions being in awe of his songwriting skills, but there’s never a feeling in the book that she’s out to protect his legacy. She never comes across as anything else but totally honest.
As his fame increases, she see’s the writing on the wall. Or as he puts it,
‘All that was offered to a musicians girlfriend in the early 60’s was a role as her boyfriend’s “chick”, a string on his guitar. In the case of Bob’s rising fame, I would be gatekeeper, one step closer to an idol. People would want to know me just to get closer to him. My significance would be based on his greater significance. That idea did not entice.’
Audiobook
I enjoyed the audiobook of this, narrated by Christina Delaine. I enjoyed Rotolo’s prose, which is clear and flows well, and you can tell she had an interest in poetry. Chronolgically and thematically, it jumps around a bit (just like chronicles) but I’m fine with that. Memoirs have become a favourite for me on audiobook - I find it easier to pay attention to the narrative.
Another thing I liked about this memoir was Rotolo’s caveat at the beginning - ‘The only claim I make for writing a memoir of that time is that it may not be factual, but it is true.’
For me this means that whilst dates and events can be a bit unclear in the mists of time, the emotions and insights we experienced are not.
Summary
Suze Rotolo does a fine job in writing about a particularly febrile time in cultural history, Greenwich village in the sixties. Sure, if you’re like me and you have an interest in Dylan, you’ll be eager for any mention of his name. Just don’t be expecting a kiss 'n tell - Rotolo has more class than that - but you do get a sense of their relationship, trust issues and all, through some sweet vignettes.
I’ve read a lot of books about this period in Dylan’s life, and it’s so formative and fascinating that I keep going back to it. I’d have to say that ‘A complete unknown’ (I wrote my thoughts on it here) has reignited my interest. After this, I’m off to watch ‘No Direction home’ followed by some ‘Inside Llewyn Davis’ just to soak up the vibe of that period. Even after all these years, Dylan’s an itch you can never quite scratch.
But Suze Rotolo’s life as an activist, visual artist and her experiences in the village during these times are what make this an engaging read. It’s a book that will be of particular interest to Dylan fans, but there’s more than enough here I think for the casual reader.
First published January 1, 2008
Audiobook - 14 July 2020
9 hours 9 minutes narrated by Christina Delaine.
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