On Wednesday, June 19 at 7:00 pm, Prudence Jones, Professor at Montclair University, will speak about Bruce Springsteen’s layered lyrics at Bernardsville Public Library, 1 Anderson Hill Road. At the end of the talk, there will be a drawing for a free copy of “Born to Run,” Springsteen’s memoir.
Bruce Springsteen expects attentiveness of his listeners. Over the past 50 years, he has written songs and created music that have been experienced by countless fans. But many don’t know the extent to which his work has been influenced by the American folk tradition. Through experimental reinterpretation and the creation of new traditions, The Boss has worked within known folk traditions, but at the same time, created new sounds and messages. In this session, participants can learn how lyrics can be analyzed like texts and compare Springsteen’s lyrics to songs that have influenced him. Note: Audio recordings are not featured in this program.
Prudence Jones received her B.A. from Wellesley College and her M.A. and Ph.D. from Harvard University. Her research interests include Latin literature, Augustan Rome, Cleopatra VII, and ancient geography. She is the author of the books “Reading Rivers in Roman Literature and Culture,” “Cleopatra: A Sourcebook,” “Cleopatra,” and “Africa: Greek and Roman Perspectives from Homer to Apuleius.”
This program is funded by the New Jersey Council for the Humanities. There is no charge to attend the program; advance registration is requested at www.bernardsvillelibrary.org or call the library at 908-766-0118 to sign up.