“Tangled Up in Bob: Searching for Bob Dylan” — The Documentary Review

It was a long time ago, well, six years ago that I got curious about the documentary “Tangled Up in Bob: Searching for Bob Dylan.” Writers can affect our lives. If you are a writer, other writers can certainly have an influence on you.

Natalie Goldberg wrote many books, but for many who discovered her, the gateway was Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within. One thing I learned as I read her books is that we have a mutual fascination and appreciation for Bob Dylan. Natalie and I have done three interviews. I always end up asking her about Bob Dylan. During our first interview, I couldn’t resist asking her about Tangled Up in Bob the documentary she is in.

Natalie did a good job of summarizing Tangled Up in Bob, but I didn’t get around to watching until 2024. I appreciate the documentary very much. Perhaps I enjoy it now more than I would have enjoyed it if I had watched it back in 2017 when I first heard about it. The film is about more than just Bob Dylan’s hometown of Hibbing, Minnesota. One of my takeaways is that no place is really mundane. That’s something I’ve felt for some time now. I felt a kinship to Natalie for finding and making her own adventure.

Natalie said in the film that she was always fascinated by writers and poets and where they came from. I can relate. Studying renowned poets in college, I was always curious about who the person behind the words really was.

So, I recommend Tangled Up in Bob. You’ll not only learn some new things about the greatest songwriter of the 20th century, but also the place he comes from. There’s more substance in the seemingly ordinary than our first impression may be. 

When you head out for adventure or discovery with a spirit of intrigue, you will most assuredly find it.

In many respects, Natalie Goldberg’s quest to find out about Bob Dylan’s roots results in her finding out and understanding more of her own origins. Going away and returning has a way of doing that.

It may surprise Natalie a tad, but I’m sure some of her students and readers have similar questions and curiosities about her beginnings.

Find a copy of Tangled Up in Bob on DVD, but please don’t skip over the bonus features. The extended interviews with director Mary Feidt, Natalie Goldberg and Sean Wilentz are well worth your time.

Thanks for watching my review. Now go watch Tangled Up in Bob for yourself. Until next time.