Fans of musician Bob Dylan's win of the Nobel prize for literature include several members of the Illinois State University English Department.
Among them is Jan Susina, who says the decision recognizes that song writing can be poetry and is in Dylan's case.
"Just wonderful use of language, strong imagery. These are very compelling songs. These are song you can listen to over and over again and hear things you didn't hear on the first, third, fifth reading. I think they are very very powerful," said Susina.
The author of "Trainspotting," the Scots author Irvine Welsh was angry about the choice.
"I'm a Dylan fan, but this is an ill conceived nostalgia award wrenched from the rancid prostates of senile, gibbering hippies,'' wrote Welsh.
In defending song writing as a form of literature, Susina noted there is a reason we refer to the stanzas of Homer as lyrics.
Unlike someone such as Bruce Springsteen, who is more of a storyteller as a lyricist, Susina said Dylan's lyrics are sometimes mysterious and elliptical and create wonderful images and word patterns. His use of language, Susina said, is exceptional.
And Susina said the choice also reflects a shift away from the artificial distinction between popular and fine art.
"In the past we have talked about high culture and low culture. And more and more our culture is recognizing things like quilts are beautiful art. Comics and graphic novels are worth serious study. And songwriting can be a form of poetry," said Susina.
Susina said the award also recognizes Dylan's impact on society during the civil rights movement. He said he's encouraged that more and more the world is recognizing that the distinction between high and popular culture is artificial.
The Swedish Academy cited the American musician for "having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition."
Dylan had been mentioned in Nobel speculation for years, but few experts expected the academy to extend the prestigious award to a genre such as popular music. Susina said New Republic magazine rated Dylan at fifty to one odds this year.
The literature award was the last of this year's Nobel Prizes to be announced. The six awards will be handed out on Dec. 10, the anniversary of prize founder Alfred Nobel's death in 1896.
