Bruce Springsteen might be the quintessential American rock musician but his songs have resonated with fans from all walks of life and from all over the world. This unique collection features reflections from a diverse array of writers who explain what Springsteen means to them and describe how they have been moved, shaped, and challenged by his music.
Contributors to Long Walk Home include novelists like Richard Russo, rock critics like Greil Marcus and Gillian Gaar, and other noted Springsteen scholars and fans such as A. O. Scott, Peter Ames Carlin, and Paul Muldoon. They reveal how Springsteen’s albums served as the soundtrack to their lives while also exploring the meaning of his music and the lessons it offers its listeners. The stories in this collection range from the tale of how “Growin’ Up” helped a lonely Indian girl adjust to life in the American South to the saga of a group of young Australians who turned to Born to Run to cope with their country’s 1975 constitutional crisis. These essays examine the big questions at the heart of Springsteen’s music, demonstrating the ways his songs have resonated for millions of listeners for nearly five decades.
Commemorating the Boss’s seventieth birthday, Long Walk Home explores Springsteen’s legacy and provides a stirring set of testimonials that illustrate why his music matters.
JONATHAN D. COHEN received his PhD in history from the University of Virginia. He is the managing editor of BOSS: The Biannual Online-Journal of Springsteen Studies and the coeditor of All In: The Spread of Gambling in Twentieth-Century United States (2018).
JUNE SKINNER SAWYERS has published extensively on Bruce Springsteen, including Racing in the Street: The Bruce Springsteen Reader (2004) and Workingman: The Faith-Based Politics ofBruce Springsteen (2014). Born in Glasgow, she currently teaches humanities courses at the Newberry Library in Chicago.
Table of Contents
Introduction: Why Springsteen? Jonathan D. Cohen and June Skinner Sawyers
Part I Springsteen Stories 1 Growing Up with Bruce Springsteen Eric Alterman
2 How Bruce Springsteen Made a Middle-Aged Woman Believe in the Magic of Rock and Roll Nancy S. Bishop
3 From the Backstreets to the Badlands: My Springsteen Journey Deepa Iyer
4 The Ripple Effect Frank Stefanko
Part II Springsteen, Politics, and American Society 5 The Role of the Popular Artist in a Democratic Society Jefferson Cowie and Joel Dinerstein
6 Starting a Fire: Bruce Springsteen’s Political Journey from “Born in the U.S.A.” to “American Skin (41 Shots)” Gillian G. Gaar
7 Springsteen’s American Dream Louis P. Masur
8 At the River Paul Muldoon
9 The Ties That Bind A. O. Scott
Part III Springsteen Live 10 Live at the Roxy Greil Marcus
11 The Magic Circle Wesley Stace
12 Twist and Shout David L. Ulin
Part IV Springsteen the Artist 13 Brilliant Disguise: The Completely True Fictional Adventures of Bruce Springsteen Peter Ames Carlin
14 Interview with Martyn Joseph by Irwin H. Streight
15 This Train: Bruce Springsteen as Public Artist Colleen J. Sheehy
16 Born to Write: Bruce Springsteen, Flannery O’Connor, and the Songstory Irwin H. Streight
17 Ten Great Springsteen Moments (and Five Iconic Concerts) Kenneth Womack
Part V Springsteen, Sex, Race, and Gender 18 Our Butch Mother, Bruce Springsteen Natalie Adler
19 Springsteen’s Women: Tougher Than the Rest Gina Barreca
20 Shackled and Drawn Lauren Onkey
21 American Skin: Springsteen and Blackness Elijah Wald
Part VI Springsteen and Aging 22 Summer’s Fall: Springsteen in Senescence Jim Cullen
23 Work and Play: Mid-Life Music Daniel Wolff
Part VII Springsteen beyond Borders 24 Bruce Springsteen’s River in Dublin Dermot Bolger
