A little publicity....

Stoneham writer contributes to book on ‘The Boss’

The Stoneham Sun

November 11 2009

By Vladimir Shvorin/Correspondent

Stoneham - Jeff Blout of Stoneham has been listening to Bruce Springsteen since he was a 13-year-old begging his parents to attend a show. Though he didn’t see “The Boss” that night, he made it to many other concerts, and his loyalty, along with his writing, has been showcased in a new book about Springsteen titled “The Light in Darkness.”

“When I first heard about the book, I was unsure on what I was going to write about,” explained Blout. “My parents didn’t let me go to the concert because I was too young. And that’s exactly what I decided to write about because it was a unique angle. At the time, I was just living vicariously and longing to see Springsteen.”

Focusing on the 1978 “Darkness on the Edge of Town” album and tour, the new book from Lawrence Kirsch Communications includes 200 fan photos, original stories and firsthand accounts. All of the content was produced and penned by Springsteen’s followers, leaving no doubt as to how the idea behind the book came about.

“I wanted this book to serve as a souvenir of sorts because of all of the fantastic [Springsteen] concerts and records that I’ve experienced,” explained Lawrence Kirsch, the book’s publisher. “After about 30 years of seeing shows and meeting unbelievable fans in many different cities, I felt that we needed a touchstone so we can say, ‘This is what Bruce does for us, this is what he stands for and this is what he’s all about.’ And it all began when I requested fans to submit their stories for the book.”

For the uninitiated, Bruce Springsteen’s cult-like following may seem startling. His loyal fans, who have been following him across the country since he began touring decades ago, are equally loyal to each other as they are to Springsteen. According to Kirsch, that weighed heavily on his decision to compile “The Light in Darkness.”

“This book was a very community-minded project,” said Kirsch. “I tried to get as many people involved with it as possible. I received many submissions, but we couldn’t publish them all. My feeling is that, every one of the stories that we published was representative of many peoples’ experiences. I questioned whether I’d be able to do a book like this about any other musician or brand of music.”

Blout, who also had an article published in Newsweek magazine, was eager to participate in a project so close to his heart. The rest of the experience, he told, was made simple by Kirsch.

“This is the first story on Springsteen that I’ve ever submitted anywhere,” he said. “Working with Lawrence was a pleasure. I got in touch with Lawrence through [a mutual friend] who’s been to more than 150 shows. And he’s known Lawrence for years. After introducing me, Lawrence let me circumvent the online submission form and make my entry as long as I wanted. The experience was fantastic. It was seamless to work with Lawrence.”

As for a future collaboration, Kirsch and Blout both seem to agree that a fan’s work is never done.

“I’m sure Lawrence has something cooking,” Blout said. “But I’m sure he’s also busy promoting this book right now.”

http://www.wickedlocal.com/stoneham/fun/entertainment/x809130174/Stoneham-writer-contributes-to-book-on-The-Boss