Helpless Catholic that I am, I have a confession to make. I am a Bruce Springsteen devotee.

I am a firm believer in the power of place.

No topic is out of bounds for the theologian.

In the spirit of Ecclesiasticus (44:1), let us now praise famous men: specifically Frank Sinatra.

You're a fan of Bob Dylan, right? But not really. You're a fan of his music. You prefer covers by Adele, Johnny Cash, The Byrds or Joan Baez, because you don't much care for Dylan's voice. And if you're like most people, you think Bob Dylan is sort of a jerk.

I remember the first time I heard Steely Dan’s “Deacon Blues,” a song about winning and losing in life. I was 10 years old, attempting to explain the lyrics to my father. Sitting across from me in the kitchen of our old apartment, his acoustic guitar across his lap, my father respo