Rock on

Ever stood in line in the wee morning hours to get front-row tickets? Or run to the back of the venue after the last song ended to try to engage the musician of your dreams in meaningless, one-minute conversation? Congratulations, you are a music fanatic. You should definitely read Rock and Roll Will Save Your Life. Steve Almond writes for you, or what he refers to as “drooling fanatics,” because he is one: In “Smoking More Pot Than Bob Marley and Possibly the Wailers Before Entering Graceland,” he recalls entering Graceland completely stoned, surrounded by Elvis’ drooling fanatics. Then he writes a romantic description of a girl named Erin, a once-suicidal teenager who found Metallica’s “Fade to Black.” Ironically, a song about self-annihilation helped her survive the darker times of youth. Reader, she married him—Almond, that is. These stories are personal and exciting; he’s also put together a free bitchin’ soundtrack that can be downloaded at www.stevenalmond.com.