We Take Care of Our Own

Faith, Class, and Politics in the Art of Bruce Springsteen

By June Skinner Sawyers; Afterword by Andre Dubus III

Rutgers University Press

We Take Care of Our Own traces the evolution of Bruce Springsteen’s beliefs, beginning with his New Jersey childhood and ending with his most recent works from Springsteen on Broadway to Letter to You. The author follows the singer’s life, examining his albums and a variety of influences (both musical and nonmusical), especially his Catholic upbringing and his family life, to show how he became an outspoken icon for working-class America—indeed for working-class life throughout the world. In this way, the author emphasizes the universality of Springsteen’s canon and depicts how a working-class sensibility can apply to anyone anywhere who believes in fairness and respect. In addition, the author places Springsteen in the historical context not only of literature (especially John Steinbeck) but also of the art world (specifically the work of Thomas Hart Benton and Edward Hopper). Among the themes explored in the book include community, a sense of place, America as the Promised Land, the myth of the West, and, ultimately, mortality.

Insightful. . . . Going beyond the stereotype of Springsteen as chronicler of the white everyman, Sawyers examines his focus on social issues like AIDS and the Iraq War and provides an intriguing analysis of how his Catholic roots intersect with his political consciousness. . . . It's a dynamic portrait of the complicated political and social influences of a rock legend. Publishers Weekly

Springsteen authority Sawyers explores how Catholicism and an evolving political philosophy informed the art of this central figure in American popular culture. . . . Sawyers defines Springsteen's body of work as one that celebrates humanity. Booklist

Sawyers covers a remarkable amount of ground in a compact space, which will make for a resonant book and a piece of cultural criticism that looks at Springsteen’s work through a series of lenses, some of them unexpected, to help us understand the American experience in a new light. Jim Cullen, author of Born in the U.S.A. Bruce Springsteen in American Life, 3rd edition, Revised and Expanded

We Take Care of Our Own is a great read, an important addition to the Springsteen canon, and a serious look at the historical context of Springsteen's work in both American literature and visual art. Mary Gauthier, author of Saved by a Song: The Art and Healing Power of Songwriting

Sawyers maps some of the most important issues at stake in Bruce Springsteen’s music, especially his twenty-first-century work. By drawing on recent interviews and writing, she brings a fresh perspective to his story.’
Lauren Onkey, professor of music, George Washington University

Wonderfully insightful and important exploration of one of our country's most essential artists. Andre Dubus III

JUNE SKINNER SAWYERS was born in Glasgow, Scotland, and has written and lectured extensively on Bruce Springsteen. Her Springsteen books include Racing in the Street: The Bruce Springsteen Reader, Tougher than the Rest: 100 Best Bruce Springsteen Songs, and, with Jonathan D. Cohen, Long Walk Home: Reflections on Bruce Springsteen (Rutgers University Press, 2019). Her other books include Celtic Music, Read the Beatles, 10 Songs That Changed the World, Cabaret FAQ, and Bob Dylan’s New York. Her work has appeared in the Chicago Tribune, the San Francisco Chronicle, and the TLS, among other publications. In addition, she in an associate producer of Voices over the Water, a documentary on the Scottish diaspora.

ANDRE DUBUS III is the author of The Cage Keeper and Other Stories, Bluesman, and the New York Times bestsellers House of Sand and Fog, The Garden of Last Days, and the memoir Townie, a #4 New York Times bestseller and a New York Times "Editors Choice."

Acknowledgments
Introduction: In the Shadow of Plenty
1 Workingman
2 A Sense of Place
3 Chapter and Verse
4 The Good Book
5 The Populist Imperative
6 Hope and Dreams
7 Left Behind
8 An Absence of Things
9 Jersey Cowboys
10 Tomorrows and Yesterdays
Coda: Far Beyond Today
Afterword by Andre Dubus III
Notes
Select Bibliography
Illustrations
Index

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