PULLMAN, Wash., July 7 -- Washington State University issued the following news release:
Even though I know the river is wide
I walk down every evening and stand on the shore
I try to cross to the opposite side
So I can finally find what I've been looking for
- Billy Joel, "The River of Dreams"
Billy Joel's lyrics on the title track of his 1993album "River of Dreams," cut to Blake Love's core upon popping the cassette into his late-model Toyota. It was 2016, and Love was living in LosAngeles when he purchased the tape for 50cents from a thrift store.
The ink on his Master's degree was fresh, but Love didn't know what to do next.
"I knew I wanted to write, but I didn't see a professional path to doing so," Love recalled. "I felt lost...