Full Description
An essential companion to Michael Jackson's music, films, and books, this work offers 21 original, academic essays on all things Jackson—from film, music, and dance to fashion, culture, and literature.
Going well beyond the average celebrity biography, this comprehensive book looks at why Jackson is regarded as one of the most important musicians of our time, offering insights into every facet of his art, life, and artistic afterlife. It looks at the methods by which his work was created, presented, received, and appropriated; discusses Jackson's varied personas along with his public and private appearances, albums, conceptual art, short films, and dance; and considers his use of costume, makeup, and reinvention.
To help readers understand the phenomenon that was—and is—Michael Jackson, the book focuses on Jackson's historical context through an analysis of his films, songs, and books, examining him as an artist and shedding light on the political and ideological debates that surrounded him. Not shying away from the controversial aspects of Jackson's life and legacy, it also tackles questions of sexuality and racism, gender, and class, comparing Jackson to artists ranging from J. S. Bach to Andy Warhol. Through its examination of Jackson's entire catalog, the work connects all the aspects of his art and life to exemplify—and explain—the performer's unparalleled influence in the 20th and 21st centuries.
Contents
Foreword by Joseph Vogel
Foreword by Karin Merx
Acknowledgments
Michael Jackson: A Selected Chronology
PART I: Art as Life
Chapter 1 Introduction: Reading, Writing, and Rewriting Michael Jackson
Chapter 2 A Critical Survey of Michael Jackson Studies
Chapter 3 On Michael Jackson's Dancing the Dream
Chapter 4 Narrative in Michael Jackson's Bad
Chapter 5 Identity and Identification in Michael Jackson's Dangerous
Chapter 6 "Liberace Has Gone to War: Undressing Michael Jackson's Fashion
Chapter 7 "Instrument of Nature": The Voice of Michael Jackson
PART II: Life as Art
Chapter 8 Thoughts on Michael Jackson's Transformations
Chapter 9 "Throwing Stones to Hide Your Hands": The Mortal Persona of Michael Jackson
Chapter 10 Recontextualizing Michael Jackson's Blackness
Chapter 11 HIStory and Michael Jackson's Autobiographical Potency
Chapter 12 Michael Jackson and Children Revisited
Chapter 13 "Faith, Hope, and Love": The Dangerous Philosophies of Michael Jackson
Chapter 14 From Crown to Cross: The Poisoned Chalice of Thriller's Success
PART III: Art beyond Life
Chapter 15 Horcruxes: Michael (Split Seven Ways) Jackson
Chapter 16 "Through the Looking Glass": Notes on Michael Jackson and Andy Warhol
Chapter 17 Invincible: Michael Jackson's Lost Late Album
Chapter 18 Michael Jackson's Obituaries and the Shakespearean Tragic Hero
Chapter 19 Moonwalkers: Michael Jackson's Unique Fandom
Chapter 20 The Power of the Editor and Michael Jackson's Posthumous Releases
Chapter 21 Epilogue: Three Dangerous Philosophies Articles
21.1 "The Isle Is Full of Noises": Revisiting the Peter Pan of Pop
21.2 Crack Music: Michael Jackson's Invincible
21.3 "Heard It on the Grapevine": Are We Losing Michael Jackson All Over Again?
Appendices
A.1 From Object to Subject: A Critical Survey on the Representation of Blackness in the Early Modern Period
A.2 "With All His Beauteous Race": High-Status Blacks in The Masque of Blackness and The Merchant of Venice
A.2.1 Niger, a High-Status Black Character in The Masque of Blackness
A.2.2 Morocco, a High-Status Black Character in The Merchant of Venice
A.2.3 Gender and the Depictions of Niger and Morocco
A.2.4 Conclusion
Notes
Bibliography
Index
