Shades of Springsteen: Politics, Love, Sports, and Masculinity

Contents

• Preface and Acknowledgments
• Introduction 
• 1 Springsteen’s Biography 
• 2 Springsteen and Politics 
• Teaching with Springsteen 
• Essay 1. Teaching Politics (and More) with Bruce Springsteen
• Springsteen and Patriotism 
• Essay 2. “Born in the U.S.A.” and Patriotism 
• Essay 3. “But Was It Right?”
• Studying Springsteen 
• Essay 4. Image and Reality: A Review of Springsteen’s Autobiography Born to Run 
• Essay 5. A Note on the State of Springsteen Scholarship
• Springsteen, Class, and Depression 
• Essay 6. Springsteen and Depression 
• Essay 7. Straddling Class and Demons 
• Essay 8. “Used Cars” and the Hidden Injuries of Class 
• Essay 9. Wrecking Ball and Class Warfare? 
• Essay 10. Why I Am a Democratic Socialist and Springsteen Isn’t—Yet
• Springsteen and Race 
• Essay 11. Racism and “American Skin (41 Shots)” 
• Conclusion: Springsteen and Politics 
• 3 Springsteen, Love, and Relationships 
• Essay 12. A Fitzgerald/Springsteen Pastiche: “Gatsby” Down the Jersey Shore 
• Springsteen, Fathers, and Sons 
• Essay 13. Springsteen to Springsteen: Speaking of Love 
• Essay 14. Flying 
• Essay 15. Pakistani Son, Pakistani Father: An Updated Review
• of Sarfraz Manzoor’s Greetings from Bury Park: Race, Religion,
• and Rock ’n’ Roll 
• Compassion and Understanding in Love (and Even in Politics) 
• Essay 16. “Scumbag Bobby” and Springsteen’s “Spare Parts” 
• Essay 17. The Nixon in All of Us 
• Springsteen and Tunnel of Love 
• Essay 18. Springsteen on Relationships in Tunnel of Love 
• Essay 19. Bravery and Honesty in Patti Scialfa’s Rumble Doll Album
• The Sacred and the Profane 
• Essay 20. The Sacred and the Profane: Springsteen, Caravaggio, “Earth Angel,” and “Reno” 
• Essay 21. The Sacred and the Profane? The Love of a Daughter and George Carlin’s “Seven Dirty Words” 
• Essay 22. The Good News according to Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band 
• Essay 23. Springsteen and Apocalypse Sex 
• Conclusion: Springsteen and Love
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• 4 Springsteen, Synchronization, Sports, and Masculinity 
• “Glory Days” 
• Essay 24. Springsteen’s “Glory Days” and Synchronization 
• Essay 25. Synchronizing with Springsteen 
• Essay 26. “Glory Days” and Uncle Phil 
• Two More “Boring Stories” of “Glory Days” 
• Essay 27. Replay 
• Essay 28. The Stuff of Life 
• Springsteen and Fatherhood 
• Essay 29. Fatherhood: From a Different Perspective 
• The Traditional Model of Masculinity 
• Essay 30. The Traditional Model of Masculinity and Me 
• Essay 31. Bruce Springsteen and the Traditional Model of Masculinity 
• Grandpa Bruce? 
• Essay 32. Man to Man in Maine 
• Conclusion: Springsteen, Sports, and Masculinity 
• 5 Loose Ends 
• Essay 33. Why Write? Some Answers Provided by Bruce Springsteen, Roger Rosenblatt, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Alexander Hamilton 
• Essay 34. Concluding Statement 
• References 
• Index