86 pages ⢠2 hours read
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āHere we live in the shadow of the steeple where the holy rubber meets the road, all crookedly blessed in Godās mercy, in the heart-stopping, pants-dropping, race-riot-creating, oddball-hating, soul-shaking, love-and-fear-making, heartbreaking town of Freehold, New Jersey.ā
Springsteenās gift for lyrical prose and recognition of lifeās inherent contradictions are evident in his description of his hometown. He poignantly conveys his love for the eccentricities and roots of home as well as the intolerance and racial tensions of postwar New Jersey. Springsteenās ability to see both sidesāthe ālove-and-fearāāpermeates his memoir, and his evocative rendering of Freehold foreshadows his later descriptions of friends and places. His equitable appraisal of the character of people and situations gives the narrative a nuanced and mature perspective.
āHere your rejection by the boys is a badge of sensitivity and can be played like a coveted ace for the perks of young geekdom.ā
Bullied by boys at school for shyness and sensitivity, Springsteen discovers these traits appeal to girls. The girls, he argues, stand in for his doting Italian grandmother, who showers him with attention. He learns to use his shyness to attract their attention. In addition, it confirms that his introversion and identity as a āsofthearted dreamerā are characteristics worth cultivating. Indeed, those characteristics prove indispensable to him as a creative artist.
āThere is a strength, fear and desperate joy in all this hard spirit and soul that naturally found its way into my work.ā
The book is as much about Springsteenās music as the people and events that inform it. He describes the āwork, faith, familyā (24) creed that he inherits from his mother and her sisters, which influences his artistry and dogged work ethic.