Jersey, sung and writ boldly Earn - · PDF filespri"gsteen's American 'My WOfk haS Vision -...
1
to Earn a r Gomputer Jersey, sung and writ boldly BY KELLY EBBELS STAFF WRITER What do "Thunder Road," "The Red Wheelbarrow," and "American Pastoral" have in com- mon? Scholars may ponder on, but the simple answer is that the Bruce Springsteen song, the William Carlos Williams poem, and the Philip Rothnovelwere all born of New fersey. The final two lectures in a series called "fersey: A Sense of Place," offered at Montclair State University, will feature discus- sions on the three. Louis Masut, a professor of history and American itudies at Rutgers University, will be discussing Springsteen in a lec- ture titled "Talk About a Dream: e*.i spri"gsteen's American 'My WOfk haS Vision - from New lersev to the r , , - r Nov. 9 discus- sion will be led bv Neil Bald- rfin, director of the Creative Research Center for MSU and an author of abiog- raphy on Williams called e House Door lnstallation re number of Doors atyour home, then select your mthe available styles, rSpecialist will visit your home and measure each ng state-of-the-art precision measuring technology. s are cut with laser prcision and installed typically lours! "To All Gentleness." As Baldwin explained, Williams was "com- pletely dedicated to the life and the people and the stories of New fersey," noting his book of poems about Paterson, and other works that mention Clifton, even the "filthy'Passaic River. Baldwin said his lecture would be "homage to a hometown hero." The Roth portion of the final lecture will be led by fames Bloom, professor of English at Muhlenberg College. Bloom, an Essex County native, like Roth, is an editor at the Philip Roth Soci- effs publication. Bloom explained that few oth- er great writers had such a shong connection to place in their work as Roth did - and yet that Roth's worktanscend- LimitedTime Only! '199 Plus the cost ofthe doors On Nov. 7, from 4 to 5 p.m. at the Cohen Lounge in Dickson Hall, will be a combined lecture onWilliams and Roth, titled "The local is the only universal:' William Carlos Williams in New fersey," and "Philip Roth:Newark and Beyond." The scope of the lecture series FREE Haul Away and 0irpffil -575-9300 Miirhd Vision - New fersey to the ';ilff ;*"ilil"#Jd;;'d;. ;, a lwaYs been B?illl",ijim' in Brantr Hall in a bout i ud g i n g the distance between Amerlcan reality and thc Arnerican drearn.' -Bruce Springsteen meaning, in a way." Masur has just released, with co-editor Christopher Phillips, an eponymous book, a selection of interviews that Springsteen has conducted over the course of his career. One of Springsteen's quotes came to Masur's mind when speaking with The Mont- clair Times: "My work," Spring- steen said in a press conference in Paris last year, "has always been about judging the distance between American reality and the American dream." Masur said he is interested in "the development of Springsteen's ideas of commitment to commu- nitv ... You can hace an entire arc in ierms of his commitment both as an artist and as an activist through his 40 years of inter- views." Also of interest to Masur is the "sense of place in Springsteen's music - and these notions of both escaping and somehow finding a way back home again." The Williams portion of the iitr' Keepupwith MdNTCLAR fiMfS lllc IHl#oil - free and open to the public - has been broad, explained organ- izer Victoria Larson, director of the Institute forthe Humani- ties at MSU: each lecture has focused on ed it, never stay- ing "provincial or parochial." Bloom recounted an amusing quote of Roth's from his 1986 novel, "Counterlife," that, even if a % either Dramatizing, Living, Paint- ing, Singing or Writing fersey. With "Dramatizing |ersey," the series bit the bullet and examined the TV series "Jersey Shore";with "Living," it looked at utopian communities in 19th- and 20th- century New Jersey; and with "Painting," it looked at George Inness. Larson, originally from Eng- land but a 25-year resident of New fersey, was, once she accli- mated to life here, struck with how stereotypes didn't match up to the reality of the multifaceted qualities coming from the state. "There's so many layers to it, really," Larson said of NewJersey. "There's sort of multiple layers of New Jersey writer has written 50 boolis and won a Nobel Prize, the highest form of praise in the state will be having a rest stop named for you on the New fersey Tum- pike. "For a New fersey novelist," Roth writes, "that's as much immortality as it's realistic to hope for." Lanon said the point of the lec- tures was a "questioning of pre- conceived notions, giving a sec- ond thought to a set of associa- tions and stereotypes that you might take for granted. 'ilt's a sort of series of investiga- tions. It could be expanded infi- nitely if we had the time and the resources," Larson said. "Each one really is just the tip of the ice- berg." Contact Kelly Ebbels at ebbels@northjersey,com [ - ocT 31$T!! LO MALI Fairfield 973-439-0333 6 near Willowbrook Mall) r{Err BALI w[{ JAMES BTOOM TOUIS MASUR on m Twitter@MontclairTimes
Transcript of Jersey, sung and writ boldly Earn - · PDF filespri"gsteen's American 'My WOfk haS Vision -...
to Earn ar Gomputer
Jersey, sung and writ boldlyBY KELLY EBBELSSTAFF WRITER
What do "Thunder Road,""The Red Wheelbarrow," and"American Pastoral" have in com-mon?
Scholars may ponder on, butthe simple answer is that theBruce Springsteen song, theWilliam Carlos Williams poem,and the Philip Rothnovelwere allborn of New fersey.
The final two lectures in aseries called "fersey: A Sense ofPlace," offered at Montclair StateUniversity, will feature discus-sions on the three. Louis Masut, aprofessor of history and Americanitudies at Rutgers University, willbe discussing Springsteen in a lec-ture titled "Talk About a Dream:e*.i spri"gsteen's American 'My WOfk haSVision - from New lersev to the r , , - r
Nov. 9 discus-sion will be ledbv Neil Bald-rfin, director ofthe CreativeResearch Centerfor MSU and anauthor of abiog-raphy onWilliams called
e House Door lnstallationre number of Doors atyour home, then select yourmthe available styles,
rSpecialist will visit your home and measure eachng state-of-the-art precision measuring technology.
s are cut with laser prcision and installed typically
lours!
"To All Gentleness." As Baldwinexplained, Williams was "com-pletely dedicated to the life andthe people and the stories of Newfersey," noting his book of poemsabout Paterson, and other worksthat mention Clifton, even the"filthy'Passaic River.
Baldwin said his lecture wouldbe "homage to a hometownhero."
The Roth portion of the finallecture will be led by famesBloom, professor of English atMuhlenberg College. Bloom, anEssex County native, like Roth, isan editor at the Philip Roth Soci-effs publication.
Bloom explained that few oth-er great writers had such a shongconnection to place in their workas Roth did - and yet that Roth's
worktanscend-
LimitedTime Only!
'199Plus the cost ofthe doors
On Nov. 7, from 4 to 5 p.m. atthe Cohen Lounge in DicksonHall, will be a combined lectureonWilliams and Roth, titled "Thelocal is the only universal:'William Carlos Williams in Newfersey," and "Philip Roth:Newarkand Beyond."
The scope of the lecture series
FREE
Haul
Away
and
0irpffil
-575-9300 Miirhd
Vision - New fersey to the
';ilff ;*"ilil"#Jd;;'d;. ;, a lwaYs been
B?illl",ijim' in Brantr Hall in
a bout i ud g i n g thedistance betweenAmerlcan realityand thc Arnericandrearn.'
-Bruce Springsteen
meaning, in a way."Masur has just released, with
co-editor Christopher Phillips, aneponymous book, a selection ofinterviews that Springsteen hasconducted over the course of hiscareer. One of Springsteen'squotes came to Masur's mindwhen speaking with The Mont-clair Times: "My work," Spring-steen said in a press conference inParis last year, "has always beenabout judging the distancebetween American reality and theAmerican dream."
Masur said he is interested in"the development of Springsteen'sideas of commitment to commu-nitv ... You can hace an entire arcin ierms of his commitment bothas an artist and as an activistthrough his 40 years of inter-views."
Also of interest to Masur is the"sense of place in Springsteen'smusic - and these notions of bothescaping and somehow finding away back home again."
The Williams portion of the
iitr'Keepupwith MdNTCLAR fiMfS
lllcIHl#oil
- free and opento the public -has been broad,explained organ-izer VictoriaLarson, directorof the Instituteforthe Humani-ties at MSU:each lecture hasfocused on
ed it, never stay-ing "provincialor parochial."
Bloomrecounted anamusing quoteof Roth's fromhis 1986 novel,"Counterlife,"that, even if a
% either Dramatizing, Living, Paint-ing, Singing or Writing fersey.With "Dramatizing |ersey," theseries bit the bullet and examinedthe TV series "Jersey Shore";with"Living," it looked at utopiancommunities in 19th- and 20th-century New Jersey; and with"Painting," it looked at GeorgeInness.
Larson, originally from Eng-land but a 25-year resident ofNew fersey, was, once she accli-mated to life here, struck withhow stereotypes didn't match upto the reality of the multifacetedqualities coming from the state.
"There's so many layers to it,really," Larson said of NewJersey."There's sort of multiple layers of
New Jersey writer has written 50boolis and won a Nobel Prize, thehighest form of praise in the statewill be having a rest stop namedfor you on the New fersey Tum-pike. "For a New fersey novelist,"Roth writes, "that's as muchimmortality as it's realistic to hopefor."
Lanon said the point of the lec-tures was a "questioning of pre-conceived notions, giving a sec-ond thought to a set of associa-tions and stereotypes that youmight take for granted.
'ilt's a sort of series of investiga-tions. It could be expanded infi-nitely if we had the time and theresources," Larson said. "Eachone really is just the tip of the ice-berg."
Contact Kelly Ebbels atebbels@northjersey,com
[ - ocT 31$T!!
LO MALIFairfield 973-439-03336 near Willowbrook Mall)
r{Err BALI w[{
JAMES BTOOM
TOUIS MASUR
on m Twitter@MontclairTimes
