The New York Times' Julie Bosman reports that Jonah Lehrer, the precocious New Yorker writer who was caught fabricating Bob Dylan quotes in his book Imagine, has resigned from the magazine. Here's his statement, via Bosman's Twitter feed:

"Three weeks ago, I received an email from journalist Michael Moynihan asking about six Bob Dylan quotes in my book IMAGINE. The quotes in question either did not exist, were unintentional misquotations, or represented improper combinations of previously existing quotes. But I told Mr. Moynihan that they were from archival interview footage provided to me by Dylan's representatives. This was a lie spoken in a moment of panic. When Mr. Moynihan followed up, I continued to lie, and say things I should not have said. The lies are over now. I understand the gravity of my position. I want to apologize to everyone I have let down. I have resigned my position as staff writer at The New Yorker."

Moynihan's discovery of the fabricated Dylan quotes, first published in a Tablet article published today, is the latest, and worst, in a monthlong uncovering of the basic fact that Jonah Lehrer just does not know how to do journalism. (Not that basic incompetence has prevented people from getting jobs at The New Yorker before.)

[NYT]