Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Outlaw Pete’ Reborn as a Children’s Book
Bruce Springsteen has teamed up with writer and cartoonist Frank Caruso to transform his 2009 song “Outlaw Pete” into a children’s book. “When Bruce wrote ‘Outlaw Pete’ he didn’t just write a great song, he created a great character,” Caruso said in a statement. “The first time I heard the song this book played out in my head.” The book will hit shelvers on November 4th.
Memories of the 1950 children’s book Brave Cowboy Bill, which Springsteen’s mother read to him as a child, inspired the tale of a cowboy who “cut his trail of tears across the countryside.” “Like Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn, Dorothy Gale and for me, even Popeye, Outlaw Pete cuts deep into the folklore of our country,” says Caruso, “and weaves its way into the fabric of great American literary characters.” Adds Springsteen: “Outlaw Pete is essentially the story of a man trying to outlive and outrun his sins.”
Bruce Springsteen wrapped up his High Hopes world tour in May. He’s kept a low profile since then and his upcoming plans are unclear, though earlier this year he told Rolling Stone that an expanded version of his 1980 double album The River is in the works. He’s also talked about a possible writing project. “I wouldn’t call it a book yet,” he told Rolling Stone earlier this year. “It’s writings, miscellaneous writings.”
There are no concerts on Springsteen’s schedule at the moment, though he always plays the annual Stand Up For Heroes fundraiser in New York City. The event is being staged at the Theater at Madison Square Garden on November 5th, but no lineup has been announced yet.