family and childhood

Mark Anderson's account of his life growing up in the 60s and 70s and his relationship to pop music, Christian music, God and teen sin is immensely fun and entertaining. I hope he writes another book soon!

I find this book really hard to put down. I grew up at the church Mark's father pastored. I lived with my mom in the same neighborhood, on the same street. I went to the same school. I went to the same summer camp. Ohh yeah -- I too am crazy about music. When I was growing up I was five or six years ahead of him. But now I'm thinking he is five or six years ahead of me. I may be alluded to either as "one of the neighborhood burnouts" or one of the "bored looks" whose mom dragged him to church. My life has always been prone to extremes. With uncharacteristic restraint I'm writing this now. Nothing about this book is false, neither is it exaggerated. I'm so moved by Mark's humor and honesty I think this will be one of those rare books that when page 270 (the last one) is reached will be immediately followed by page 1. Let the circle be unbroken! If you were to read this book and not be charmed, blessed, calmed-down and lead to reflect on your youth with more compassion and caring and as a result love yourself more I would think there is no hope for you.

I purchased "Jesus Sound Exposion" yesterday and became quickly captivated by Anderson's engrossing memoir of navigating his adolescence and young adulthood between the twin poles of Evangelical Christianity and Rock n Roll.

Anderson transports his readers to a parallel universe riddled with dualisms: Heaven or Hell, Jesus or Satan, chastity or making out, etc. The book presents an honest look at the conservative end of the Christian spectrum and the narrow-minded worldview that accompanies it. Picture a typical 17-year-old boy compelled to share "The Four Spiritual Laws" with his high school classmates, motivated by visions of hellfire awaiting the unrepetant.

But Anderson leavens the tale with humour and musical discoveries while dispensing grace to his parents, siblings, and Sunday School teachers. While no longer a believer per se, Anderson reveals a significant amount of personal growth and maturity, eschewing fundamentalism and black/white thinking for a catholic (little c) worldview that encompasses divorce, teaching, retail work, and the horns blaring out on Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run."