Bob Dylan addresses The Philosophy of Modern Song book signature controversy: "Using a machine was an error in judgment"

Earlier this month Bob Dylan released his The Philosophy of Modern Song book that features 60 essays written by Dylan about songs by the likes of Elvis Costello, Hank Williams, Nina Simone and more. There was also an exclusive, "hand-signed" edition up for grabs for $599 through Simon & Schuster, but it turns out that Dylan's signature wasn't done by hand.

Simon & Schuster apologised for advertising it as "hand-signed", and offered an "immediate refund" to those who bought the exclusive edition. Bob Dylan has since shared his own statement, revealing that the decision to use a machine "was an error in judgment and I want to rectify it immediately."

Dylan wrote, "I’ve been made aware that there’s some controversy about signatures on some of my recent artwork prints and on a limited-edition of Philosophy Of Modern Song. I’ve hand-signed each and every art print over the years, and there’s never been a problem."

"However, in 2019 I had a bad case of vertigo and it continued into the pandemic years," Dylan continued. "It takes a crew of five working in close quarters with me to help enable these signing sessions, and we could not find a safe and workable way to complete what I needed to do while the virus was raging. So, during the pandemic, it was impossible to sign anything and the vertigo didn’t help. With contractual deadlines looming, the idea of using an auto-pen was suggested to me, along with the assurance that this kind of thing is done ‘all the time’ in the art and literary worlds."

He added, "Using a machine was an error in judgment and I want to rectify it immediately. I’m working with Simon & Schuster and my gallery partners to do just that."