I picked up Esquire Magazine’s 8th annual Meaning of Life issue over the weekend. Fifty interviews, one person from each state. I was sucked in by Clint Eastwood on the cover, and also seeing the names of Little Steven…..and Chloë Sevigny?

Inside the table of contents, Mickey Rourke.

Sold.

Side note: I kinda have a thing for Chloë Sevigny. I didn’t always like her, but have really grown to enjoy her on HBO’s Big Love.

A couple of interesting moments from What I’ve Learned: Wisdom from all 50 States:

In Changeling, I tried to show something you’d never see nowadays – a kid sitting and looking at the radio. Just sitting in front of the radio and listening. Your mind does the rest.

– Clint Eastwood

Immediately upon working for fifteen years to make it, as soon as we make it, what do I do? I leave, right before the Born In The U.S.A. tour. Everybody bought houses off of that tour. I’m in Africa with an eleven-piece that I’m paying for, using my little money to keep a band on the road talking about politics.

I learned everything I know from leaving the E Street Band. And of course, one of the things I learned is, I never should have left.

– Steven Van Zandt

The Eastwood comment resonates with me because I have so many memories of being a kid, listening to the radio. And also memories of being a teenager, listening to the radio. For so many of my formative years, there really was nothing better.

This is the first time I’ve seen Van Zandt comment at length about his departure from the E Street Band. I’m sure it’s been addressed, but I found the Esquire interview particularly interesting. Of course now that I think about it, I think I always enjoy any interview I read with Little Steven! Check out the full interviews with Van Zandt and Eastwood in the January 2009 issue of Esquire at your favorite newsstand right now.

Here’s a link to the Mickey Rourke article in the current issue.