Springsteen Fandom

Nicolas Pethes is Professor of German Literature at the University of Cologne, Germany. His previous employments include visiting professorships at Stanford University, USA, as well as appointments at the Universities of Hagen and Bochum, Germany. He completed his dissertation on the poetics of memory in the works of Walter Benjamin in 1999 and has since published on the media history of literature, the interrelations between literature and science, critical discourse on new media technologies, and popular culture.

• 1. “A means of communication”: Making Connections2. “Those who’ve come before”: Connecting Traditions3. “They’re in the show”: Addressing Audiences4. “A tale begins”: Telling Stories5. “Who are we and where is home?” Building Communities6. “It’s going to matter to somebody”: Shaping Biographies7. “They’re here”: Summoning GhostsBibliographyIndex

While this book will, of course, hold special interest for Springsteen fans, it may also speak to anyone who is anthropologically curious about the enduring allure of a public figure ... Explaining Springsteen’s mystique as well as anyone probably ever will.