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A review by sonyaw
Long Walk Home: Reflections on Bruce Springsteen by Eric Alterman, Richard Russo, Kenneth Womack, Frank Stefanko, Daniel Wolff, Deepa Iyer, A.O. Scott, Wesley Stace, June Skinner Sawyers, Martyn Joseph, Jim Cullen, David L. Ulin, Peter Ames Carlin, Natalie Adler, Nancy Bishop, Louis Masur, Regina Barreca, Jefferson Cowie, Dermot Bolger, Joel Dinerstein, Irwin Streight, Greil Marcus, Gillian G. Gaar, Jonathan D. Cohen, Elijah Wald, Wayne Swan, Paul Muldoon, Colleen Sheehy, Lauren Onkey
4.0
A collection of essays written by a wide range of authors explaining Springsteen’s influence on their lives. Some essays were less compelling to me (the common fanboi white dude perspective), but there are some really terrific ones as well.
I particularly enjoyed essays by Deepa Iyer (who grew up feeling an outsider in Louisville, KY); Colleen J Sheehy (Springsteen “builds a public that is compassionate and principled”); Natalie Adler (who recognizes Bruce as “the butch mother of my hungry heart”); Gina Barreca’s essay about Springsteen’s tough-as-nails, “undainty, undaunted, and maybe unquenchable” women in his songs; Lauren Onkey's great piece on Springsteen's legacy around race.
When I tell people how much I love Springsteen I often get a blank or "oh, okay" look which suggests to me they don't know the Bruce I know; the one whose lyrics I've pored over since childhood; the benevolent ever- but never-present "uncle" who soothed my mom into being less angry; who felt like he was a part of my family, but perhaps understood me better than any one of them did. Many folks associate him with the white dude fandom; I wish they could see past that. To me he is so much more, and I wish that people would stop and listen -- really listen -- to the messages in his songs. (I'm listening to Nebraska as I write this!
I particularly enjoyed essays by Deepa Iyer (who grew up feeling an outsider in Louisville, KY); Colleen J Sheehy (Springsteen “builds a public that is compassionate and principled”); Natalie Adler (who recognizes Bruce as “the butch mother of my hungry heart”); Gina Barreca’s essay about Springsteen’s tough-as-nails, “undainty, undaunted, and maybe unquenchable” women in his songs; Lauren Onkey's great piece on Springsteen's legacy around race.
When I tell people how much I love Springsteen I often get a blank or "oh, okay" look which suggests to me they don't know the Bruce I know; the one whose lyrics I've pored over since childhood; the benevolent ever- but never-present "uncle" who soothed my mom into being less angry; who felt like he was a part of my family, but perhaps understood me better than any one of them did. Many folks associate him with the white dude fandom; I wish they could see past that. To me he is so much more, and I wish that people would stop and listen -- really listen -- to the messages in his songs. (I'm listening to Nebraska as I write this!