Public figures have always made time to release books. Ranging from memoirs to original pieces of fiction, everyone from Rick Ross to Hilary Clinton has put out their own pieces of writing. With that said, it's rare that two celebrities team up to write their own book. Fortunately, former President Barack Obama and music superstar Bruce Springsteen are two rare people. Together, Obama and Springsteen have come together to release a new book, Renegades.
At first glance, it may appear that Obama and Springsteen may not have much in common. Springsteen is a rock star from New Jersey and Obama is a politician from Hawaii. However, the two have a common view of America that revolves around two things, hope and the future. Through this common view, Springsteen and Obama put together a collection of writings that explore these ideas from their point of view.
"You've got to speak to the best in people and you have to believe that speaking to the best in people is possible that the country will be able to find a common narrative again in the future and that what we're experiencing now are historical growing pains that are very painful. But I think what you need at this moment is a kind of fighting optimism. You've got to be willing to address the fact that there's a large portion of our politicians right now who are willing to simply subvert democratic institutions," Springsteen told Audie Cornish of NPR in a recent interview.
"Maybe one thing that Bruce and I share — his music, my politics — is the belief that people aren't static. And I think I think America is proof that things are not static. So you're absolutely right that we go through moments of backlash. It's always happened. You can argue that there was a pretty strong backlash after I was elected. And you know, I think that people are still reacting to women in positions of power and, you know, the LGBT community not being willing to be quiet and unseen. And so, you know, we've always seen those reactions, and there are going to be times, because of that backlash, where we get a sense of despair, in the sense that we're stuck, that there's no way to move forward and escape this tragic loop that we have been in. And yet Bruce just described, and I like that phrase, you know, sort of a fighting optimism," Obama added.
Obama and Springsteen's joint work, Renegades, is on shelves worldwide as of October 26.
Get the latest news 24/7 on The Black Information Network. Listen now on the iHeartRadio app or click HERE to tune in live.