Fans of Bruce Springsteen will have a different venue to celebrate his life and legacy.

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Glory Days: A Bruce Springsteen Symposium is coming to Monmouth University from September 14-16. The event will focus on academic research and thought based on the life and work of the New Jersey native.

The symposium was first held in 2005 and again in 2009. It generally draws between 200 and 300 participants.

"It's an educational conference appealing to both academics and non-academics," said Dr. Mark Bernhard, organizer and associate provost for Outreach and Engagement at the University of Southern Indiana. "We have a number of people who will be presenting on topics ranging from Springsteen as a narrative poet to Springsteen and political activism to Springsteen and literature. His writing is very deep and complex in terms of speaking to Americana and American culture."

In addition to the academic presentations, speakers also will present on pop culture aspects of Springsteen's legacy and there will be musical performances as well. Speakers will include:

  • Mike Appel, songwriter and producer, Bruce Springsteen's former manager and producer of his first three records
  • Peter Ames Carlin, author of Bruce, to be published by Simon and Schuster in November
  • Ed Gallucci, photographer
  • Jim Henke, vice president of exhibitions and curatorial affairs at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum
  • Father Kevin Keelen, a priest and campus minister at Merrimack College and Villanova University, friendly with Springsteen family
  • Peter Knobler, editor-in-chief of Crawdaddy magazine from 1972-1979, discovered Springsteen in the rock press and was his earliest champion.
  • David Masciotra, writer, journalist and author of Working On a Dream: The Progressive Political Vision of Bruce Springsteen (Continuum Books, 2010)
  • Robert Santelli, longtime member of the Recording Academy and spearheaded the development of the GRAMMY Museum

Pre and post-conference tours will explore Asbury Park, Freehold and Belmar along with other areas associated with Springsteen's rise to fame. Musical performances will be held at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park. Registration is now open.

For more information, visit www.usi.edu/glorydays.

 

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