Bob Mould - See A Little Light (Little, Brown and Company, 2011)

Ever since we found out that Bob Mould was writing a book several years ago, I’d been eagerly awaiting its release. After a long wait and a decade-long gestation process that Mould explains in the text, it’s finally here.

As a longtime fan, this was a very easy book to read and at times and I often didn’t want to put it down. Chapters breeze by as Mould recounts his tumultuous early family life, the story of Hüsker Dü, Sugar and his solo career (as well as a brief detour as, of all things, a professional wrestling script writer) in succession. With all that said, there are lots of juicy tidbits about each phase of his musical career as well as the music business in general and the world of professional wrestling is also carefully examined as well. Hüsker Dü fans will learn what inspired the raging side two of Zen Arcade and why there will probably never be a reunion, Sugar fans will get to vicariously experience their stint atop the UK charts and WCW fans will get the inside story on many of its wrestlers as well as the WCW’s eventual dissolution.Thus, along with other long-time Mould fans, music fans in general and wrestling fans will be pleased, but ultimately there’s much more depth here.

I’d argue that even more important are the personal details that informed each of these periods (Mould must have an amazing memory and/or must have kept a diary) and which somehow, fortunately led to the happy, comfortable state that he’s in at the moment.

As the book makes clear, though, it was a long struggle to get to that point, though. Mainly, much of the book deals with Mould’s struggles to come to grips with who he really is. So yes, much is spilled here about Mould’s homosexuality, though any open-minded adult should be able to relate to it vis-a-vis his or her own experience as ultimately, it’s about growing as a person, love and acceptance.

Without going into too much detail as to why, this book moved me deeply as it shows that it’s never too late to make positive changes in one’s life and to take charge of your identity and your happiness.