Rock has dominated radio, TV, movies, and even the Internet in our media-savvy lives, but its impact on the literary world has often been overlooked. This collection features today's finest writers, including Sherman Alexie, Madison Smartt Bell, T.C. Boyle, Don DeLillo, Roddy Doyle, Nick Hornby, Rick Moody, Tom Perrotta, Salman Rushdie, and Scott Spencer, as well as such up-and-coming writers as Tom Piazza and even musicians such as Steve Earle who have turned their talent for lyric writing to spinning a well-told yarn. In these short stories and excerpts from novels, the reader will recognize such familiar rock icons as Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bob Dylan, and Bruce Springsteen. Sherman Alexie's "Reservation Blues" follows the rowdy adventures of an all-Native American rock band from the reservation to New York City. In "Ground Beneath Her Feet," Salman Rushdie offers a riff on the Orpheus and Eurydice myth in a rock-and-roll setting. Scott Spencer's "Rich Man's Table" focuses on the illegitimate offspring of a Dylan-like singer and a former Greenwich Village hippie. At times raucous, at times poignant, the stories in this collection celebrate in their own way the timeless spirit that is the heart of rock and roll....

Bruce Springsteen, writer of more than 250 songs, is among the most literate rock singers. His songs touch people's hearts and minds. Simply put, he is the storyteller of our generation. Tougher Than the Rest discusses the best of Springsteen's vast body of work, from Greetings from Asbury Park, NY to Devils & Dust. The author comments on each song's origin and the critical response it received. The book shares insights into the songs' literary, historical, and cultural references. It's packed with numerous sidebars and is accompanied by photographs and lots of extras, including a complete song list, discography, and bibliography. A must for all Springsteen fans....