Written in 1966 Tarantula is a collection of poems and prose that evokes the turbulence of the times in which it was written and gives a unique insight into Dylans creative evolution it was written during work on his magnum opus Blonde on Blonde. the good samaritan coming in with the words ound & round we gotattooed on his cheek he tells the senator to stop insulting the lawyer Written in 1966 Tarantula captures Bob Dylans preoccupations at a crucial juncture in his artistic development showcasing the antic imagination of a folk poet laureate who was able to combine the humanity and compassion of his country roots with the playful surrealism of modern art. Angry funny and strange the poems and prose in this collection reflect the concerns we find in Dylans most seminal music a sense of protest a verbal playfulness and spontaneity and a belief in the artistic legitimacy of chronicling everyday life and eccentricity on the street. Tarantula never made its publication date in Autumn 1966. To the delays added by Dylans constant revisions was added the greater complication of his motorcyle accident which left him with still undisclosed injuries and kept the book from publication until 1971. In the interim it became a cult phenomenon with bookleg editions photocopied from reviewer proofs circulating throughout the musical and literary demi mondes. Reissued to coincide with the paperback release of Chronicles 1 Tarantula will finally find the wider audience it deserves.