Walking along in the hot sun, I examined outdoor sales. Quickly catching my attention I spotted a lonely book with the Freewheelin' picture as the cover. I picked it up. Priced at a mere 4 bucks I knew I must purchase this Bob-related material. It was A Freewheelin' Time by Suze Rotolo. I did judge by the cover (just as one should not) and therefore expected a great deal...expecting as much in the printed word, as by the sounds that follow the album cover. However, why was it cheaply priced?

When I started to read the pages I wasn't sure. Maybe it was just a book trying to make a buck, because she was one of Bob's girlfriends and therefore could get people like me interested into their personal affairs (because as a fanatic you want to know anything and everything you can). But I got to where I could not put the thing down, not so much because I was finding out about Bob the person, as opposed to Bob the artist, but because it was a true and well written account of life. Suze gives a remarkable picture of the Village, and at the same time gives the fanatic some hillarious stories about her Bobby.

Bob once put an inscription in a Byron book that he bought for Suze..."I bought this for you in the New York rain." Perhaps a man first, a poet second, but in whatever vein, Bob's words as they are now, are proved to be beautiful and of another world. The following is a love-letter, yet so descriptive it reminds me of a Hitchcock scene from Rear Window...or perhaps an introduction to Theme Time Radio Hour:

"Nothing much is happening here I guess- Bob Shelton is waiting for Jean- the dogs are waiting to go out, the thiefs are waiting for an old lady- little kids are waiting for school- the cop is waiting to beat up on someone- them lousey bums are waiting for money- Grove Street is waiting for Bedford Street- the dirty are waiting to be cleaned- Everybody is waiting for cooler weather- and I am just waiting for you-."

Case in point, if you see a cheap book don't discount it.