Elizabeth Amisu

Foreword by Joseph VogelForeword by Karin MerxAcknowledgmentsMichael Jackson: A Selected ChronologyPART I: Art as LifeChapter 1 Introduction: Reading, Writing, and Rewriting Michael JacksonChapter 2 A Critical Survey of Michael Jackson StudiesChapter 3 On Michael Jackson's Dancing the DreamChapter 4 Narrative in Michael Jackson's BadChapter 5 Identity and Identification in Michael Jackson's DangerousChapter 6 "Liberace Has Gone to War: Undressing Michael Jackson's FashionChapter 7 "Instrument of Nature": The Voice of Michael JacksonPART II: Life as ArtChapter 8 Thoughts on Michael Jackson's TransformationsChapter 9 "Throwing Stones to Hide Your Hands": The Mortal Persona of Michael JacksonChapter 10 Recontextualizing Michael Jackson's BlacknessChapter 11 HIStory and Michael Jackson's Autobiographical PotencyChapter 12 Michael Jackson and Children RevisitedChapter 13 "Faith, Hope, and Love": The Dangerous Philosophies of Michael JacksonChapter 14 From Crown to Cross: The Poisoned Chalice of Thriller's SuccessPART III: Art beyond LifeChapter 15 Horcruxes: Michael (Split Seven Ways) JacksonChapter 16 "Through the Looking Glass": Notes on Michael Jackson and Andy WarholChapter 17 Invincible: Michael Jackson's Lost Late AlbumChapter 18 Michael Jackson's Obituaries and the Shakespearean Tragic HeroChapter 19 Moonwalkers: Michael Jackson's Unique FandomChapter 20 The Power of the Editor and Michael Jackson's Posthumous ReleasesChapter 21 Epilogue: Three Dangerous Philosophies Articles21.1 "The Isle Is Full of Noises": Revisiting the Peter Pan of Pop21.2 Crack Music: Michael Jackson's Invincible21.3 "Heard It on the Grapevine": Are We Losing Michael Jackson All Over Again?AppendicesA.1 From Object to Subject: A Critical Survey on the Representation of Blackness in the Early Modern PeriodA.2 "With All His Beauteous Race": High-Status Blacks in The Masque of Blackness and The Merchant of VeniceA.2.1 Niger, a High-Status Black Character in The Masque of BlacknessA.2.2 Morocco, a High-Status Black Character in The Merchant of VeniceA.2.3 Gender and the Depictions of Niger and MoroccoA.2.4 ConclusionNotesBibliographyIndex

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.Michael Jackson is regarded as one of the most important musicians of our time. Going well beyond the average celebrity biography, this comprehensive book looks at why that is true, offering insights into every facet of Jackson's 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.