A David Masciotra Working on a Dream Ryan Bradley Big Other Springsteen bucket of love.

Always fun to see various TBWCYL, Inc. favorites come together, and in this case the David Masciotra guest blogging on Big Other via the Ryan Bradley. It is very nice indeed and includes a play list of Masciotra's favorite Springsteen songs from the current decade. Please do take a look and please enjoy the below excerpt as well, it not only tackles one of our favorite Springsteen songs from the current decade, but it is quite Masciotra at that and sure to change your life.

“My City of Ruins”—This gospel song was originally written as a prayer for Asbury Park, but became a post-9/11 anthem when used as an album closer for The Rising. Its music is straight out of a sanctified church, but its prayer acknowledges the marriage between the secular and sacred. Springsteen humbly asks divine assistance in building hope, faith, and love, and accepts communal responsibility for communal future, rather than merely looking upward for the perfect solution.

Working on a Dream and the Baby Got Books.

We are always thrilled to see the things we dig mash into each other and given this, it is quite awesome to see that the Baby Got Books has done a lengthy and in-depth review of David Masciotra's Working on a Dream - The Progressive Political Vision of Bruce Springsteen. It's quite thoughtful, so please do take a look, and as always, for your viewing and aural pleasure we have excerpt below.

"Working on a Dream is a unique book of musical/political scholarship. I am unaware of any similar books that examine a particular artist and his political philosophy at this level of scrutiny."

Not that we're claiming we told you so, but we do think you heard it here first.

We have made no secret of our great affection for David Masciotra author of the fabulous Working on a Dream - The Progressive Political Vision of Bruce Springsteen, and while we could list the various reasons why, and no we are not just talking about his looks, one of the things we are convinced of, is that with the publication of this book we are seeing the birth of the next great public intellectual, a Douglas Brinkley or Cornell West. Well, we are happy to report that the movement to prove us right is now rapidly afoot, something we know more than ever because The Lecture Bureau clearly agrees with us. Now, what does this mean for you? It means that you probably want to get David to come speak at your events while you can, and while he's cheap, because we're guessing his price will soon far exceed the usual shots of Jim Beam on the house.

This Podcast Will Change Your Life, Episode Twenty-Five - "Steel Bars."

It's true, there has been much podcast mania this week here at TBWCYL, Inc., for example, Episodes Twenty-Three and Twenty-Four starring Mel Bosworth and Gina Frangello respectively, and yes, there is more to come soon, but for now let's savor the newest edition to the series, Episode Twenty-Five starring TBWCYL, Inc. favorite David Masciotra, author of the quite rocking Working on a Dream - The Political Progressive Vision of Bruce Springsteen. There is Springsteen of course, but there is also Dylan and Fisk and Bolton as well. Who knows, it just might change your life. And maybe even for the better.

Amazon sort of sucketh, albeit in an awesomely sucketh sort of way.

All we wanted to do was post a review and some blurbage on Amazon for the Masciotra's new joint Working on a Dream - The Progressive Political Vision of Bruce Springsteen. So we went with the following:

"David Masciotra is the bastard love child of Lester Bangs and William Julius Wilson."

But it didn't post, nothing, no post. So we wrote Amazon, and we said, hey Amazon, why no post and Amazon said the following:

"I read your recent review of "Working on a Dream: The Progressive Political Vision of Bruce Springsteen" and found it violated our posted guidelines. Your review was removed because it focused on the author. Our posted guidelines don't allow reviews that criticize authors or their intentions. Your review was more suited for a discussion forum."

Awesome.

We went with the following:

"While I expected a book celebrating Bruce Springsteen and his music, what I didn't quite expect was a celebration of not only how Springsteen's music exemplifies and illuminates the tenets of progressive politics ranging from the need to build community, address isolation, expose the degradation of the working class and strengthen the education system, but a discussion on the array of public policies that support these tenets."

Not as much fun for us mind you, but it did post, we have post.

This Book Will Change (not just) Your Life (but others) - Working on a Dream - The Progressive Political Vision of Bruce Springsteen/David Masciotra.

After a week or so of interviews with TBWCYL, Inc. favorite David Masiotra, here and here, appearances, many thanks again to Suzi T. and The Book Cellar crew, and the actual completion of his stirring new book Working on a Dream - The Progressive Political Vision of Bruce Springsteen, we thought it was time for some reflection.

(1) We are convinced more than ever that David Masciotra is the bastard love child of Lester Bangs and William Julius Wilson.

(2) While we expected a book celebrating Bruce Springsteen and his music, what we didn't quite expect was a celebration of not only how Springsteen's music exemplifies and illuminates the tenets of progressive politics ranging from the need to build community, address isolation, expose the degradation of the working class and strengthen the education system, but a discussion on the array of public policies that support these tenets.

(3) We hope that unlike Fahrenheit 911, for example, this book can serve to activate citizens of all stripes and not just the true believers, and so if you have any ideas about how this can be accomplished please let us know.

(4) Bruce Springsteen is venerated by Boomers and Generation X, but his message speaks to Millenials and their interest in social causes, community and supporting the oppressed. This book has the potential then to serve as both a bridge between generations and a blueprint for Millenials seeking both direction and leadership.

(5) David Masciotra may or may not emerge as the poet laureate of the Millenial generation, but we do believe that we are witnessing the birth of a public intellectual in the vein of a Cornel West or Douglas Brinkley and that one day we will say we knew him when.

Masciotra. Tanzer. Springsteen. The Chicago Literary Scene Examiner Interview, Part Two.

More Masciotra. More Tanzer. More Springsteen. More excerpt. And much more appreciation for The Chicago Literary Scene Examiner.

EX: Every time I listen to “Born To Run”, I get that teenage excitement to discover the world right now. I think it's the horns. Who is the literary equivalent of either a) The Boss or b) one of The Boss's songs/albums and why.

BT: I had this girlfriend in high school who once said to me that she would be happy as long as some guy at some point said to her "You ain't a beauty but hey you're alright," which is a line from “Thunder Road”. This says a couple things to me, one she didn't know how attractive she was, but more importantly that I probably grew-up in a small town and that I probably grew-up in the northeast, though possibly in the mid-west. This woman was dying to get away from our hometown and dying to do something, and be something, she wasn't yet, but thought she could be once she escaped. And this is what Bruce writes about on “Born to Run,” a yearning to be noticed and to escape the confines of home and youth and class. I say all this, because I think that means that certain books and writers could almost fit here, but just aren't quite right. The Basketball Diaries for example has some of this, but it’s almost too cool, and we certainly can't count a story about someone who doesn't want to escape their hometown especially when its New York City, a place that the characters in “Born to Run” want to escape to. Similarly, On the Road and Catcher in the Rye capture some of this vibe, but they're not quite right either, not for what you're asking. Given this, I'm going to suggest two local writers, Don DeGrazia and Joe Meno, and their two most popular works, American Skin and Hairstyles of the Damned. Both are working class, both are centered on youth and escape, and both have a strong grounding in music, though in these cases it’s punk, not rock, something I think Bruce could live with. David?

DM: “Born to Run” is about individual conquest, but it is also about the discovery of the meaning and power of love, and the participation in a just and enduring community. It encourages individuality, but not without connecting it to one's sense of integrity, act of creativity, and commitment to community. It also begins Springsteen's tradition of love talk that goes on uninterrupted throughout his career--love being not just some cheap sentimentality, but the steadfast concern for the well-being of others. Springsteen acknowledged this in live introductions to the acoustic version of the song, saying the song is about "two people trying to find their way home," and that "individual freedom with a larger community ends up feeling pretty meaningless." This is a deep and profound message in a market-driven culture that discourages communal connection and altruistic bonds empathy. It also flips the script on the market's conception of individuality, which tells people "you are your cell phone ring tone," or "you are your sneaker."

In Working On a Dream, I make literary comparisons between Springsteen and Dostoevsky, Steinbeck, and Cormac McCarthy. Steinbeck is pretty easy and straight forward considering Springsteen has a song and album called "The Ghost of Tom Joad." Throughout Nebraska, Springsteen explores the dark depths of the human psyche and the painful consequences of isolation in Dostoevskian fashion, with particular similarities to Crime and Punishment. The father and son in The Road, McCarthy's epic classic, are guided by love for each other and a commitment to goodness they call "carrying the fire." Too often people make theoretical objections to consumer culture, market-driven society, and greed, but fail to make the individual changes that need to accompany the conceptual protest. "Carrying the fire" is an expression that encapsulates making those individual changes, and "The Promised Land" is an anthemic tribute to making those changes.

Masciotra. Tanzer. Springsteen. The Chicago Literary Scene Examiner Interview, Part One.

Robert Duffer and the Chicago Literary Scene Examiner are most graciously doing a two-part interview with TBWCYL, Inc. spokesperson Ben Tanzer and author David Masciotra in advance of our most epic appearance tonight at The Book Cellar. Please do take a look, please join us and please enjoy the brief excerpt from part one below.

EX: How did a guy who dissects political issues through the lens of pop culture hook up with a guy whose characters think pop culture?

DM - I discovered Ben's second novel, Most Likely You Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine, at an exhibit on local authors at the Cultural Center. I was immediately drawn to Ben's book because of the Bob Dylan song title, and the evocative cover. Most Likely... is an insightful, funny, and evocative novel with well-developed characters and nearly flawless dialogue. I emailed Ben to give him my feedback, compliments, and encouragement. We started talking, he seemed very excited about my book, which at the time had just picked up a publisher. I'm thrilled to have his support and friendship. But, I am beginning to regret sharing a stage with the funniest guy in the world

BT - David is way too generous, but this is a friendship I have been thrilled to find myself in. It might be enough if he was only good-looking, smart and contrarian, but what’s especially exciting is his passion with progressive politics, the affects of isolation and his desire to be a champion for the downtrodden and oppressed. It’s really powerful stuff and it’s inspiring to be around. I would add, that I also think that we try to use pop culture in a similar fashion and even seek some of the same answers. While it’s true that on the surface, David may be more focused on politics and policy, while I am more focused on people trying to get laid, we are both trying to make sense of how people connect, or don’t; why people turn to drugs, drink or sex to cope or escape; and how hope can sustain us even when nothing else seems to be working.

Full of Crow: Weekly Poetry Hour reading. All archived and such.

Many thanks to Lynn Alexander and the entire Full of Crow team for welcoming TBWCYL, Inc. spokesperson Ben Tanzer as a guest on the Full of Crow: Weekly Poetry Hour reading last Sunday on Blog Talk Radio. We had the chance to read several pieces including Dick Cavett Says and It's Only Rock and Roll, But We Like It which ran in Thieves Jargon and Monkeybicycle respectively. We had much fun, we are much appreciative, we are archived and we hope you will take a look, because among other things TBWCLY, Inc. favorite David Masciotra makes an appearance as well, and with the recent release of Working On A Dream - The Progressive Political Vision of Bruce Springsteen we plan to reference him and the book as often as possible.

This Book Will Change Your Life - Twenty Stories by Kristin Fouquet.

Last night we went to the book release party for David Masciotra's new book Working On a Dream: The Progressive Political Vision of Bruce Springsteen. It was awfully fun, with much music, Masiotra supporters, beer and the Jason Fisk, and we will have more about the book and David soon. We promise, but the main reason we are telling you about all this is because the release was in Joliet, yes that Joliet, which meant taking a train, which meant time for writing, sweet, and reading, and we read a lot, including Night Soil Man, the first story from the Big Lonesome by Jim Ruland, which was just heartbreaking, and Chapter Three of the Truth or Something Like It, the engrossing new novel by Curtis Smith, both of which we will touch on here some time soon as well. We promise, but today, and right now, we are going to focus on Twenty Stories by Kirstin Fouquet, which is such a terrific blend of music, sex, humor and alcohol, that just might sound a bit like the book release party itself, except that unlike David's focus on Bruce, Kristin's focus is on New Orleans and these stories about jazz singers, adulterers, cross-dressers and writers not only reinforce, but expand everything you think you know about the city and the people who live there.

Yesterday we brought you McClanahan madness, and today we bring you Masciotra madness. No need to thank us though, that's just how we roll.

The highly anticipated release of TBWCYL, Inc. favorite David Masciotra's book Working On a Dream - The Progressive Political Vision of Bruce Springsteen is rapidly approaching and while we plan to share whatever we hear and see about said release, whenever we hear and see it, we thought we would start with this quite engaging interview David just did on Lakeshore Drive with Len Clark, because we're pretty sure you will enjoy it. In fact, we're pretty sure it might even change your life, if only for a little while.

Cover madness.

We have been very excited about the imminent release of Working on a Dream: The Progressive Political Vision of Bruce Springsteen by good friend David Masciotra and now that there is an official, and quite awesome, cover we are doubly so. Meanwhile, and speaking of awesome, while we have not been looking quite as forward to the release of Adam Lambert's debut album, are they still called albums, we are none-the-less quite enjoying the release of the the cover. Nice.

The weekly round-up courtesy of Phil Spector.

It's true that we don't really do a weekly round-up here at TBWCYL, Inc. headquarters. It is also true that we have no intention of going all Drudge Report or Smoking Gun just to increase sales and traffic in an increasingly cluttered market. And yet, this photo does somehow seem to touch on a number of themes/topics we blogged about this week including, but not limited to, mug shots; portraits, self and otherwise; music and skewed celebrity worship. It is also both horrifying and wrongly funny all at the same time, and so while we are quasi-embarrassed to write this, we are drawn to it in the worst way.

A sort of literary music minute. Punks. Jews. Springsteen. Love. Okay, we're not sure about the love part in general, but we're feeling it. Big time.

Last week we were riffing on meeting author David Masciotra who's doing this new joint on Bruce Springsteen at Continuum and then almost immediately we see that Continuum has posted some lengthy blurbage about the book Working on a Dream - The Progressive Political Vision of Bruce Springsteen on their website. Quite cool stuff indeed. And then today we see that The New York Times, yes that New York Times, has done a piece about a gathering and panel discussion in New York City on the intersection between being punk and being Jewish led by some legendary Jew Punks, Tommy Ramone and Lenny Kaye among others, and in the article they quote author and friend Steven Lee Beeber's most excellent book The Heebie-Jeebies at CBGB's, which we have written about here in the blog and reviewed for Wonka Vision magazine. Also good stuff. And all worth checking-out don't you think? Way.