Bruce Springsteen Reveals Books and Authors That Inspire Him ! Cormac McCarthy, Walt Whitman, hard-boiled crime novels and Mariano Riveras autobiography on the rockers recommended list. Bruce Springsteens first childrens book Outlaw Pete, based on a character introduced in the Working on a Dream song of the same name, is due out November 4th, and the songwriter-turned-author spoke to the New York Times about his own favorite books and writers. Springsteens literary tastes are varied, as we learn the E Street rockers bookshelves are filled with everything from cosmology and philosophy books to hard-boiled crime novels, Gabriel García Márquezs Love in the Time of Cholera and former New York Yankees closer Mariano Riveras autobiography. I like the Russians, the Chekhov short stories, Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky. I never read any of them until the past four years, and found them to be thoroughly psychologically modern, Springsteen said. As for his current favorites, the rocker lists authors Richard Ford, Cormac McCarthy and Philip Roth, a fellow New Jersey native. Given the often dark, unforgiving nature of those authors novels, its clear where Springsteens inspiration as a writer comes from. As the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer said of his book back in August, Outlaw Pete is essentially the story of a man trying to outlive and outrun his sins, which is heavy material for a childrens story, even if the main character is a bank-robbing baby. The story will also include memorable personalities from throughout the Springsteen songbook. In the interview, we learn that Springsteen wrote his 1995 single The Ghost of Tom Joad before he even read John Steinbecks The Grapes of Wrath, the novel in which Joad is the protagonist; Springsteen was initially inspired by both Woody Guthries The Ballad of Tom Joad and director John Fords cinematic adaptation than the Steinbeck novel itself. Springsteen also admits that Steinbecks East of Eden is the novel hes most embarrassed to not have read yet. If Springsteen ever plans on writing his own life story – like so many rockers before him – hes setting his own bar high. As far as memoirs, its hard to beat Keith Richards love of music that shines through in Life, he said. I also found Eric Claptons autobiography to be surprisingly revealing and very moving. Of course I loved Bob Dylans Chronicles. It made me proud to be a musician. Rolling Stone contributing editor Greil Marcus Mystery Train: Images of America in Rock n Roll Music was also selected as Springsteens favorite book about music.
Posted on: Wed, 05 Nov 2014 19:02:40 +0000
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