Rock Springs native publishes memoir about RS life 

J.J. Anselmi, formerly of Rock Springs recently published his first book, "Heavy: A Memoir of Wyoming, BMX, Drugs, and Heavy Music." Anselmi currently teaches English composition and literature at Saint Paul College, and he holds an MFA in Creative Nonfiction from CSU Fresno.

As described by the publisher, Rare Bird Books out of Los Angeles, '"Heavy" chronicles Anselmi's experiences growing up as a straight edge, BMX-riding metal head in Rock Springs. His grandpa, Don Anselmi, was a well-known businessman and politician who was featured in a 1977 "60 Minutes" episode for his alleged connections to organized crime. The book interweaves all of the social and personal history one might expect from a story like this-including metal logo tattoos, explorations in LSD, BMX culture, self-loathing and sobriety, and finally, a very unique perspective on what it means to live in a heavy world."

Jeffrey Gleaves of "The Paris Review" wrote of the book: "'Heavy" has a grainy, thrash-music quality to it. On its surface, Anselmi's story is that of an angry white trash kid who never had the chance to fall from grace because grace never lifted him that high; beneath that it's a book about control, and why destruction equals power for those who feel powerless."

According to a piece Anselmi wrote for "Largehearted Boy," "My view of Rock Springs has become more nuanced over the years, but all I could see, while growing up there, was a small town that revolves around harsh industrial labor and addiction. Indifferent prairie surrounds Rock Springs, and my instinct was to rage against it."

Anselmi describes several heavy metal songs throughout the book and how they accompanied his experiences. In many cases, the song lyrics parallel and inform his view of life.

Well-known and recognizable Rock Springs residents are also included in "Heavy," and Anselmi's honest and straightforward book captures a unique vision of the Rock Springs environment.

Some have called this book a coming of age story with accompanying teenage language and rhetoric, but it goes much deeper than that. It is intensely dramatic and the reader is often overcome by this writer's tragic dealings with himself and others. "Heavy" is available on both Kindle Amazon as well as in bookstores across the country.

"Heavy" is locally available at the Sweetwater County libraries.

J.J. Anselmi is the son of Jay and Stephanie Anselmi, and the grandson of Dora Anselmi, the late Don Anselmi, and Leighton and Sarah Wessel.