Born In The U.S.A.

by Cullen, Jim

• ISBN13: 9780819567611
• ISBN10: 0819567612
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-06-14
• Publisher: Wesleyan Univ Pr

Summary

Moving beyond the biographical and journalistic approaches of most writing on Bruce Springsteen, Born in the U.S.A. was the first major work of cultural criticism to situate Springsteen's work in the broader sweep of American history--the heir of Walt Whitman and Woody Guthrie, Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King. Springsteen is an influential chronicler of our society, says Jim Cullen, a "good conservative" who preserves the traditional values of hard work, inclusive families, and genuine concern for the less fortunate. In the new edition to this landmark work, Cullen also discusses new currents in Springsteen's music since 9/11, notably his 2002 album The Rising. This Wesleyan edition includes a new foreword, introduction, and afterword. Must reading for any serious fan--or anyone who has ever been curious about what all the fuss has been about.

Author Biography

JIM CULLEN teaches history at the Ethical Culture Fieldston School in New York. His articles and reviews have appeared in publications ranging from Rolling Stone to the American Historical Review, and he has published seven books, including The American Dream (2003). DANIEL CAVICCHI is author of Tramps Like Us (1998).

Table of Contents

Foreword
Introduction : a big country	p. 1
The good conservative : on the trail of Springsteen and Reagan	p. 6
Republican character : Springsteen and the American artistic tradition	p. 26
Visions of kings : Springsteen and the American dream	p. 51
Borne in the U.S.A. : Springsteen and the burden of Vietnam	p. 75
The good life : Springsteen's play ethic	p. 97
Model man : Springsteen's masculinity	p. 119
Inherited imagination : Springsteen and American Catholicism	p. 157
Conclusion : better angels	p. 190
Afterword to the 2005 edition : the congregation of Father Bruce	p. 193
A Springsteen chronology	p. 240
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