I’m not sure putting Dylan on the same level as John Steinbeck was a good precedent.
I've read both. There is a difference between writing fiction and writing songs. I know, because as a tech writer I can be objective. I write neither; my analysis of Steinbeck and Dylan is based on my enjoyment of reading their work, not comparing it to mine. Both are superb.
Was “Subterranean Homesick Blues” the first “rap” song?