Douglas R. Anderson (1) (1953–)

I am sure I would not have read this book if I were not a half-century long fan of Bruce Springsteen, so my bias is already disclosed. The book is a collection of philosophical musings by philosopher fans, so it was quite entertaining to me. The topic range is very broad, evidenced by the titles of some of the essays: “They Played Guitars All Night and All Day: The Ethics of Encores” (the title before the colon is a line from “Rosalita”); “Blinded by the Subterranean Homesick Muse: The Poet as Virtuous and Virtuoso”, “Racing in the Street: Freedom, Feminism, and Collateral Damage”; “Living in ‘My Hometown’: Local Philosophies for Troubled Times”; “A Little of That ‘Human Touch’: Knowledge and Empathy in the Music of Bruce Springsteen”; “Socrates the Sculptor, Springsteen the Singer: Philosophy and Art Against the Tyrants”. Entertaining and thought-provoking, some essays much better than others, so it was a mixed bag; hence, the three-star rating.… (meer)

Cecil the alligator and his friends, Woo the armadillo and Eloise the zebra venture out to the county dance where the Cajun music of Corndog Willie and the Slackjaws has the crowd at the Laissez Faire hopping. Poor Eloise is too big to fit into the dance hall, so she wanders off to the nearby hill to listen by her lonesome. Woo spots his friend and he goes out to join her. Cecil, missing Woo, grabs an accordion and leads the dancers and musicians out to the hillside for a moon- and starlit dance.… (meer)