Michael Jackson's Dream Lives On An Academic Conversation

Abstract: This fourteenth episode is about Michael Jackson's HIStory album. On the 7th September in 1996 Jackson started his HIStory World Tour in Letna Prague, Czech Republic. Karin and Elizabeth’s conversation explores the many ways in which Michael Jackson was aware of, knowledgeable about, and concerned with the subject of history, and how he used this in his work. They discuss the teaser trailer, various tracks, and the problematic nature of the way we think about history, as well as the song, Little Susie, and Elizabeth's upcoming book, The Dangerous Philosophies of Michael Jackson: His Music, His Persona, and His Artistic Afterlife. REFERENCE AS: Merx, Karin, and Elizabeth Amisu. "Episode 14 - Michael Jackson's 'History'." Podcast, Michael Jackson's Dream Lives On: An Academic Conversation 3, no. 1 (2016). Published electronically 7/9/16. http://michaeljacksonstudies.org/episode-14-michael-jacksons-history/. The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies asks that you acknowledge The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies as the source of our Content; if you use material from The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies online, we request that you link directly to the stable URL provided. If you use our content offline, we ask that you credit the source as follows: “Courtesy of The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies.” Episode 14 - Michael Jackson's HIStory By Karin Merx & Elizabeth Amisu Just as much as he resisted gender with 'Dangerous', he resists genre with 'HIStory'. -Karin Merx Episode Discussion: 1. How to interpret the HIStory trailer 2. How to read HIStory as an autobiography 3. 'Pie Jesu' as a prelude for Little Susie 4. Classical music that inspired Michael Jackson 5. The physical artifact of the HIStory album 6. Michael Jackson's use of sound design 7. Blood of the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix as extension of HIStory 8. The tracks, Scream, Smile, and Michael Jackson's historical connections with Charlie Chaplin Karin Merx BMus, MA, is editor of The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies, and author of  ‘A festive parade of highlights. La Grande Parade as evaluation of the museum policy of Edy De Wilde at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam’. Find out more about Karin here. Elizabeth Amisu, PGCE, MA, is editor of The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies and author of The Dangerous Philosophies of Michael Jackson: His Music, His Persona, and His Artistic Afterlife. Find out more about Elizabeth here. All Our References and Where to Easily Find Them 1. Leni Riefenstahl's Triumph of the Will 2. Michael Jackson's HIStory trailer 2. Information on the subject of Iconography 3. Elizabeth Amisu, The Dangerous Philosophies of Michael Jackson: His Music, His Persona and His Artistic Afterlife (CA: Praeger, 2016). A preview is now available on Amazon and Google Books 4. The MJCast Episode 026 - Diana Walczak Special 5. Elizabeth Amisu, 'Horcruxes: Michael (Split Seven Ways) Jackson', The Dangerous Philosophies of Michael Jackson: His Music, His Persona, and His Artistic Afterlife (CA: Praeger, 2016). 6. Michael Jackson's Dream Lives On: An Academic Conversation, Episode 4 -- Michael Jackson and Monochromatic Cinematography 7. Michael Jackson's Little Susie as a short film 8. Information on the glorious Pie Jesu 9. Piotr Tchaikovsky's ballet, The Nutcracker 10. Blood on the Dance Floor: History in the Mix (Michael Jackson, 1997). You May Also Like:

Abstract: This thirteenth episode is a celebration of Michael Jackson's 58th birthday. Karin and Elizabeth's conversation explores Michael Jackson and Afrocentricity, the predominantly American study of the history of black Africa. They discuss the many ways in which Michael Jackson was aware of, knowledgeable about, and proud of his African-American heritage, and how throughout his career, he gave a strong message in his work about black history in a variety of ways. They also discuss the following eight songs: Bad, Liberian Girl, Remember the Time, Jam, Black or White, Keep the Faith, They Don't Care About Us, History. REFERENCE AS: Merx, Karin, and Elizabeth Amisu. "Episode 13 – MJAS Exclusive: Michael Jackson 58th Birthday: MJ & Afrocentricity." Podcast, Michael Jackson's Dream Lives On: An Academic Conversation 3, no. 1 (2016). Published electronically 29/08/16. http://michaeljacksonstudies.org/episode-13/. The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies asks that you acknowledge The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies as the source of our Content; if you use material from The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies online, we request that you link directly to the stable URL provided. If you use our content offline, we ask that you credit the source as follows: “Courtesy of The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies.” Episode 13 – MJAS Exclusive: Michael Jackson 58th Birthday: MJ & Afrocentricity By Karin Merx & Elizabeth Amisu Michael is descended from the people of the Ivory Coast. He is King Sanwi. - Elizabeth Amisu All Our References and Where to Easily Find Them 1) Leonard Bernstein, West Side Story 2) Elizabeth Amisu, "‘Bad (1987)’."The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies 1, no. 2 (2014). Published electronically 22/7/14. http://michaeljacksonstudies.org/bad-1987-2/. 3) Martin Scorsese, film director. 4) Elizabeth Amisu, "‘Crack Music’: Michael Jackson’s ‘Invincible’." The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies 1, no. 2 (2015). http://michaeljacksonstudies.org/elizabeth-amisu-crack-music-michael-jacksons-invincible/. 5) Toni Morrison, Playing in the Dark: Whiteness and the Literary Imagination (Harvard University Press 1992). 6) Harriet Manning, Michael Jackson and the Blackface Mask (Ashgate, 1st edition 2016). 7) Margo Jefferson, On Michael Jackson (Vintage Books 2007). 8) Michael Jackson's Dream Lives On: An Academic Conversation, Episode 4 (1/3/16): Michael Jackson and Monochromatic Cinematography 9) Michael Jackson's Dream Lives On: An Academic Conversation, Episode 10 (25/6/16): MJAS Exclusive: 7 Albums, 7 Songs, 7 Years (With Dr. Joe Vogel). 10) Spike Lee, Bad 25 Documentary (2012). 11) Harvey Young, Theatre and Race (Palgrave Macmillan, 2013). 12) Esias van Hulzen 'Ballet Tanz der Nationen' 13) BBC World Service, Michael Jackson - The Thrill Of Thriller (2012). 14) Susan Fast, Dangerous (Bloomsbury 2014). 15) Elizabeth Amisu, Certified Dangerous Online Video Course (2016). 16) Michael Jackson's Dream Lives On: An Academic Conversation, Episode 1 (29/6/15): Was Michael Jackson an Artist?. 17) Hazel Bryan and Elizabeth Eckford, Little Rock, Arkansas, September 1957.© Photograph by Will Counts/Indiana University Archives. 18) Information about the Black Panther Party. 19) Elizabeth Amisu, Certified Beyoncé in Culture Online Video Course (2016). 20) Armond White, 'How Deep is Your Afrocentricity? Ask Michael and Iman', Keep Moving: The Michael Jackson Chronicles, (Resistance Works, 2009), chapter 5, p.34. 21) Ibid. 22) Information about Ben Jonson. 23) Armond White, Keep Moving: The Michael Jackson Chronicles, p.36. 24) Information about Song of the Goat Theatre & Songs of Lear. 25) Smooth Criminal played by 2Cellos. 26) Prison version of Michael Jackson's  They Don't Care About Us. 27) Mass Incarceration, Visualized, Video by  The Atlantic, Sep 11, 2015. Karin Merx BMus, MA,

Abstract: This twelfth episode stands in the light of the MJ Academy and the forthcoming book of Elizabeth Amisu, editor of The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies. Karin has Elizabeth as her guest to interview her on The Dangerous Philosophies of Michael Jackson: His Music, His Persona, and His Artistic Afterlife. They talk about the critical essay in the book, the process of writing, the sources Elizabeth used for her research, section one of the book 'Art as Life', and the brand new course Teaching Michael Jackson Studies. REFERENCE AS: Merx, Karin, and Elizabeth Amisu. "Episode 12 - MJ Academy: 'The Dangerous Philosophies' Pt. 2." Podcast, Michael Jackson's Dream Lives On: An Academic Conversation 3, no. 1 (2016). Published electronically 07/08/16. http://michaeljacksonstudies.org/episode-12/. The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies asks that you acknowledge The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies as the source of our Content; if you use material from The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies online, we request that you link directly to the stable URL provided. If you use our content offline, we ask that you credit the source as follows: “Courtesy of The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies.” Episode 12 - MJ Academy: 'The Dangerous Philosophies' Pt. 2 By Karin Merx & Elizabeth Amisu 'This is the reason why I believe so emphatically in teaching Michael, because Michael deserves to be taught... and people who want to learn about Michael deserve to learn about him. I believe that can be done with freedom online...' – Elizabeth Amisu, author of The Dangerous Philosophies of Michael Jackson: His Music, His Persona, and His Artistic Afterlife https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lqxh6DtPnL4 Official Trailer of The Dangerous Philosophies of Michael Jackson: His Music, His Persona, and His Artistic Afterlife, © 2016 Karin Merx & Elizabeth Amisu Episode Questions: 1. Can you explain what a critical survey is and what its purpose is? 2. What sources did you use to write The Dangerous Philosophies of Michael Jackson? 3. Can you tell us a bit of your process of writing? 4. Can you take us through the first section of your book? 5. Can you tell us a bit more about your new course? Karin Merx BMus, MA, is editor of The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies, and author of  ‘A festive parade of highlights. La Grande Parade as evaluation of the museum policy of Edy De Wilde at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam’. Find out more about Karin here. Elizabeth Amisu, PGCE, MA, is editor of The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies and author of The Dangerous Philosophies of Michael Jackson: His Music, His Persona, and His Artistic Afterlife. Find out more about Elizabeth here. All Our References and Where to Easily Find Them 1. Elizabeth's first interview - Author & Text: 'The Dangerous Philosophies of Michael Jackson' Part 1. 2. Our latest interview with Jamon and Q of The MJCast, available here. 3. Certified Teacher of Michael Jackson Studies Online Course: Six-Lesson Online Video Course with Elizabeth Amisu. 4. Certified Michael Jackson Studies Online Course: Six-Lesson Online Course With Elizabeth Amisu 4. Free Video Series – MJ Study Must-Haves: 5 Reasons To Re-Read ‘Moonwalk’. 5. Free Video Series – MJ Study Must-Haves: 5 Reasons To Annotate ‘Man In The Music. 6. Michael Bush, The King of Style: Dressing Michael Jackson (Insight Editions 2012). 7. Joseph Vogel, Man in the Music: The Creative Life and Work of Michael Jackson (Sterling, 2011). 8. Joseph Vogel, Featuring Michael Jackson (Baldwin Books, New York 2012). 9. Almond White, Keep Moving: The Michael Jackson Chronicles (Resistance Works, 2009). 10. Michael Jackson issue of The Journal of Pan African Studies, vol.3, issue 7  (2009). 11. Michael Jackson, 'Love: The Human Family's Most Precious Legacy', Oxford University ( 2001). 12.

Abstract: This eleventh episode stands in the light of the forthcoming book of Elizabeth Amisu, editor of The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies. Karin has Elizabeth as her guest to interview her on The Dangerous Philosophies of Michael Jackson: His Music, His Persona, and His Artistic Afterlife. They talk about how an idea became a book, the model it is based on, and Elizabeth gives a brief overview of some of the chapters in the book. REFERENCE AS: Merx, Karin, and Elizabeth Amisu. "Episode 11 – Author & Text: 'The Dangerous Philosophies of Michael Jackson' Pt. 1." Podcast, Michael Jackson's Dream Lives On: An Academic Conversation 2, no. 4 (2016). Published electronically 07/07/16. http://michaeljacksonstudies.org/episode-11-the-dangerous-philosophies-of-michael-jackson-part-1/. The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies asks that you acknowledge The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies as the source of our Content; if you use material from The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies online, we request that you link directly to the stable URL provided. If you use our content offline, we ask that you credit the source as follows: “Courtesy of The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies.” Episode 11 – Author & Text: 'The Dangerous Philosophies of Michael Jackson' Pt. 1 By Karin Merx & Elizabeth Amisu 'I connect Michael specifically with Shakespeare in the respect that I treat him as a great artist worthy of great respect' - Elizabeth Amisu, author of The Dangerous Philosophies of Michael Jackson: His Music, His Persona, and His Artistic Afterlife https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lqxh6DtPnL4 Official trailer of The Dangerous Philosophies of Michael Jackson: His Music, His Persona, and His Artistic Afterlife, © 2016 Karin Merx & Elizabeth Amisu Episode Questions: 1.What exactly made you write a book on Michael Jackson, what was your inspiration? 2. You based the research on an early modern model and you connect it with Shakespeare? 3. Can you tell us something about commonplace books? 4. Can you explain a bit more about copyright in the seventeenth century? Karin Merx BMus, MA, is editor of The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies, and author of  ‘A festive parade of highlights. La Grande Parade as evaluation of the museum policy of Edy De Wilde at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam’. Find out more about Karin here. Elizabeth Amisu, PGCE, MA, is editor of The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies and author of The Dangerous Philosophies of Michael Jackson: His Music, His Persona, and His Artistic Afterlife. Find out more about Elizabeth here. All Our References and Where to Easily Find Them 1. Joseph Vogel, Man in the Music: The Creative Life and Work of Michael Jackson (Sterling 2011). 2. Elizabeth Amisu, 'Throwing Stones To Hide Your Hands: The Mortal Persona Of Michael Jackson', The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies. Vol. 1: Issue 1 (2014). 3. Elizabeth Amisu, 'On Michael Jackson’s "Dancing The Dream"', The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic studies, issue 2, volume 1 (2014). 4. Susan Fast, Dangerous (Bloomsbury 2014). 5. The Michael Jackson Podcast by The MJCast. 6. Information about 'commonplace books'. 7. Edward W. Said, On Late Style: Music and Literature Against the Grain (Bloomsbury 2006). 8. Gordon McMullan, Shakespeare and the Idea of Late Writing: Authorship in the Proximity of Death (Cambridge 2007). 9. Information about Shakespeare. 10. Information about Ben Jonson. 11. Information about the Tudors. 12. Information about the Elizabethan era. 13. Michael Bush, The King of Style: Dressing Michael Jackson (Insight Editions, Div of Palace Publishing Group, LP 2012). 14. Jason King. 'Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough: Presence, Spectacle, and Good Feeling Michael Jackson's This Is It', Thomas F. DeFrantz and Anita Gonzalez (ed.), Black Performance Theory: An Anthology of Critical Writing ...

Abstract: This tenth episode stands in the light of Michael Jackson's anniversary, seven years after his death. In this MJAS Exclusive, Elizabeth and Karin are joined by guest, fellow academic and author, Joseph Vogel, to discuss the seventh song of the seven adult solo albums of Michael Jackson. They explore the symbolism of the number seven and the meaning of this number for Jackson personally, as well as how, after seven years Jackson's representation has evolved in surprising ways. They also discuss how Jackson is viewed both academically and culturally. REFERENCE AS: Merx, Karin, Elizabeth Amisu, and Joseph Vogel. "Episode 10 – MJAS Exclusive: 7 Albums, 7 Songs, 7 Years (with Dr. Joe Vogel)." Podcast, Michael Jackson's Dream Lives On: An Academic Conversation 2, no. 4 (2016). Published electronically 24/06/16. http://michaeljacksonstudies.org/episode-10-mjas-exclusive-7-albums-7-songs-7-years/. The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies asks that you acknowledge The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies as the source of our Content; if you use material from The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies online, we request that you link directly to the stable URL provided. If you use our content offline, we ask that you credit the source as follows: “Courtesy of The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies.” Episode 10 – MJAS Exclusive: 7 Albums, 7 Songs, 7 Years (with Dr. Joe Vogel) By Karin Merx, Elizabeth Amisu and Joseph Vogel 'His political goals were bigger, and not specific to a particular party or politician. That was too small for Michael. He was speaking to peoples souls, trying to influence people on an individual level.' – Dr. Joseph Vogel Episode Questions: 1. What was the significance of the number seven for Michael Jackson's art? 2. Seventh song from Off the Wall - 'She's Out of My Life' 3. Seventh song from Thriller - 'Human Nature' 4. Seventh song from Bad - 'Man in the Mirror' 5. Seventh song from Dangerous -  'Heal the World' 6. Seventh song from HIStory - 'Money' 7. Last song from Blood on the Dance Floor - Is it Scary? 8. Seventh song from Invincible - 'Butterflies' 9. It's been seven years since Michael Jackson's death. What has changed in terms of how he is represented and viewed, academically and culturally? Karin Merx BMus, MA, is editor of The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies, and author of  ‘A festive parade of highlights. La Grande Parade as evaluation of the museum policy of Edy De Wilde at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam’. Find out more about Karin here. Elizabeth Amisu, PGCE, MA, is editor of The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies and author of The Dangerous Philosophies of Michael Jackson: His Music, His Persona, and His Artistic Afterlife. Find out more about Elizabeth here. Joe Vogel is Assistant Professor at Merrimack College, North Andover, Massachusetts. His research focus is contemporary American literature, Film Studies, popular music, popular culture, and environmental studies. He is the author of several books on Michael Jackson including Man in the Music: The Creative Life and Work of Michael Jackson (2011) and Featuring Michael Jackson: Collected Writings on the King of Pop (2012). Find out more about Joe here. All Our References and Where to Easily Find Them 1. Articles by Joseph Vogel can be found at Academia.edu 2. Information about the biblical, and cultural meaning of number 7. 3. HIStory Teaser Trailer: https://youtu.be/0T3ziKM4deo 4. Off the Wall (1979), Michael Jackson. 5. Thriller (1982), Michael Jackson. 6. Joseph Vogel, 'How Michael Jackson Made "Bad"', The Atlantic. http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2012/09/how-michael-jackson-made-bad/262162/, September 10, 2012. 7. Bad (1987), Michael Jackson. 8. Information about Michael Jackson's Humanitarian efforts: http://www.michaeljacksonslegacy.org/index.php/his-humanitarian-work 9.

Abstract: In this ninth episode, part II of the MJAS Exclusive, Elizabeth and Karin and their guests, fellow academics, Lisha McDuff and Roberta Meek, continue the discussion on Michael Jackson’s art, resonance and cultural impact alongside the late musician, Prince. REFERENCE AS: Merx, Karin, Elizabeth Amisu, Roberta Meek, and Lisha McDuff. "Episode 9 – MJAS Exclusive: Michael Jackson & Prince Part II (with Lisha Mcduff & Roberta Meek)." Podcast, Michael Jackson's Dream Lives On: An Academic Conversation 2, no. 3 (2016). Published electronically 7/06/16. http://michaeljacksonstudies.org/episode-9-7-6-2016-mjas-exclusive-michael-jackson-prince-part-ii/. The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies asks that you acknowledge The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies as the source of our Content; if you use material from The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies online, we request that you link directly to the stable URL provided. If you use our content offline, we ask that you credit the source as follows: “Courtesy of The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies.” Episode 9 – MJAS Exclusive: Michael Jackson & Prince Part II By Karin Merx, Elizabeth Amisu, Lisha McDuff and Roberta Meek There was such a backlash, such an intense distrust of Michael Jackson that spills over into the scholarly reception of him as well. Scholars are people as well and we are all affected by popular culture in ways that we may not even be aware of… We’re just at the beginning. – Lisha McDuff As that pain subsides, that pain also drives curiosity, intellectual curiosity, analytical curiosity… yes there was scholarship before Michael died, but it was fairly superficial. Any biographical work was superficial… when you look at the explosion of scholarly inquiry after his death, the same is going to happen for Prince. – Roberta Meek. Episode Questions: 1. What can MJ fans learn from Prince? 2. What can Prince fans learn from MJ? 3. Fan communities of both artists seem disparate to us at MJAS. What are the connections? 4. Let's discuss the critical reception of MJ, especially in terms of gender, ethnicity and sexuality. 5. Final thoughts. This episode is available for sale as an edited book via Amazon Kindle. Karin Merx BMus, MA, is editor of The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies, and author of  ‘A festive parade of highlights. La Grande Parade as evaluation of the museum policy of Edy De Wilde at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam’. Find out more about Karin here. Elizabeth Amisu, PGCE, MA, is editor of The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies and author of The Dangerous Philosophies of Michael Jackson: His Music, His Persona, and His Artistic Afterlife. Find out more about Elizabeth here. Lisha McDuff is a classically trained professional musician with an MA in Popular Music Studies from the University of Liverpool. She is currently continuing her research at McMaster University, focusing on the art of Michael Jackson. She is the co-presenter of the acclaimed academic blog, Dancing with the Elephant: Conversations about Michael Jackson, His Art and Social Change. Find out more about Lisha here. Roberta Meek is a full-time lecturer at Muhlenberg College. A historian trained at Temple University, she specializes in African American history and the history of race and social movements in the US context. In Fall 2015, she was able to put both her scholarly expertise and knowledge to work in teaching a First Year Seminar on Michael Jackson. Find out more about Roberta here. All Our References and Where to Easily Find Them 1. Article by ?uestlove in Rolling Stone, 'Questlove Remembers Prince: In This Life, You're on Your Own' (April 25, 2016). 2. ?uestlove on Michael Jackson, In BBC Culture Show (December, 2009). 3. 'Prince fans mourn the loss of music legend outside his Paisley Park home' The Guardian (April 22, 2016).

Abstract: In this eighth episode, an MJAS Exclusive, Elizabeth and Karin are joined by guests, fellow academics, Lisha McDuff and Roberta Meek, to discuss Michael Jackson's art, resonance and cultural impact alongside the late musician, Prince. In the first of two podcast episodes, we delve into facets of Jackson and Prince that you may never have thought of before, offering new perspectives on their careers and their posthumous reception. REFERENCE AS: Merx, Karin, Elizabeth Amisu, Roberta Meek, and Lisha McDuff. "Episode 8 – MJAS Exclusive: Michael Jackson & Prince Part I (with Lisha Mcduff & Roberta Meek)." Podcast, Michael Jackson's Dream Lives On: An Academic Conversation2, no. 3 (2016). Published electronically 28/05/16. http://michaeljacksonstudies.org/episode-8-28516-mjas-exclusive-michael-jackson-prince-part-i/. The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies asks that you acknowledge The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies as the source of our Content; if you use material from The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies online, we request that you link directly to the stable URL provided. If you use our content offline, we ask that you credit the source as follows: “Courtesy of The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies.” Episode 8 – MJAS Exclusive: Michael Jackson & Prince Part IBy Karin Merx, Elizabeth Amisu, Lisha McDuff and Roberta Meek 'When you have a great artist they are going to fool you every time. They are going to take whatever you give them and they're going to make art out of it.'- Lisha McDuff 'Prince is the epitome of cool, from the 1980s on, for black audiences, for black male audiences... This is not a dependency on a crossover. This is not a dependency on a white mass audience... Prince like Michael was sexually appealing to anybody and everybody on the gender spectrum on any level...'– Roberta Meek Episode Questions: 1. Do you find significance in the fact that Michael Jackson died at 50 and Prince died at 57?2. We have a lot of comparative discussions about MJ. How helpful or unhelpful do you think these comparisons are3. Does the tendency to compare African-American artists tell us about how they are perceived by the establishment.4. 1987’s Bad was intended as a duet between MJ & Prince. What are your thoughts on that?5. Let’s discuss MJ & Prince difficulties with their record labels. How do you think this affected artistic output of their careers? © Elizabeth Amisu Karin Merx BMus, MA, is editor of The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies, and author of  ‘A festive parade of highlights. La Grande Parade as evaluation of the museum policy of Edy De Wilde at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam’. Find out more about Karin here. Elizabeth Amisu, PGCE, MA, is editor of The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies and author of The Dangerous Philosophies of Michael Jackson: His Music, His Persona, and His Artistic Afterlife.  Lisha McDuff is a classically trained professional musician with an MA in Popular Music Studies from the University of Liverpool. She is currently continuing her research at McMaster University, focusing on the art of Michael Jackson. She is the co-presenter of the acclaimed academic blog, Dancing with the Elephant: Conversations about Michael Jackson, His Art and Social Change. Find out more about Lisha here. Roberta Meek is a full-time lecturer at Muhlenberg College. A historian trained at Temple University, she specializes in African American history and the history of race and social movements in the US context. In Fall 2015, she was able to put both her scholarly expertise and knowledge to work in teaching a First Year Seminar on Michael Jackson. Find out more about Roberta here.

Abstract: In this seventh episode, Elizabeth and Karin discuss the fact that this year is the seventh anniversary since Michael Jackson's death, and it is also the 400th anniversary since William Shakespeare's. We draw several connections between the need to celebrate Shakespeare's legacy and the ongoing debates about how to preserve Michael Jackson's. As always, our discussions take us into new and exciting places of thought and expansion. Enjoy! REFERENCE AS: Merx, Karin, and Elizabeth Amisu. "Episode 7 – MJ 7 Meets Shakespeare 400." Podcast, Michael Jackson's Dream Lives On: An Academic Conversation2, no. 3 (2016). Published electronically 7/05/16. http://michaeljacksonstudies.org/episode-7-7516-mj-7-meets-shakespeare-400/. The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies asks that you acknowledge The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies as the source of our Content; if you use material from The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies online, we request that you link directly to the stable URL provided. If you use our content offline, we ask that you credit the source as follows: “Courtesy of The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies.” Episode 7 – MJ 7 Meets Shakespeare 400By Karin Merx & Elizabeth Amisu 'It's always important to embrace art that has such a significant influence in culture... In time we'll have so much more on Jackson, adaptations of his work and so much more.'- Karin Merx https://youtu.be/lw9Wf-PNAk8 ©Kings College London UK All Our References and Where to Easily Find Them1. Shakespeare 400 is a 'consortium of leading cultural, creative and educational organisations, coordinated by King’s College London', who, throughout 2016, are marking Shakespeare's 400th anniversary in 'a connected series of public performances, programmes, exhibitions and creative activities' throughout the city of London.2. Shakespeare400 - http://www.shakespeare400.org/3. The First Folio(1623), published seven years after Shakespeare died.4.  ‘Chapter 20 – The Power of the Editor and Michael Jackson’s Posthumous Releases’ In The Dangerous Philosophies of Michael Jackson: His Music, His Persona, and His Artistic Afterlife (Praeger, 2016).5. Michael Jackson's Dream Lives On 'Episode 3 (7/2/16): What is Michael Jackson Studies?'6. James Shapiro, 1599: A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare (Faber & Faber, 2006)7. Sarah Dustagheer, Jennifer Young and Hannah Crawforth, Shakespeare in London (Bloomsbury, 2015)8. Elizabeth Amisu's 6-week online course, An Introduction to Michael Jackson Studies at Online Arts Education. Introduction and first lesson completely free! [N.B. This offer has now expired.]9. Professor Marie Plasse's Michael Jackson: Reading the King of Pop as Cultural Text at Merrimack College.10. Dr Tristan Cabello at American University, Washington, DC, United States of America11. Michael Jackson ONE, tribute show by Cirque du Soleil. Karin Merx BMus, MA, Artist, is editor of The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies, and author of  ‘A festive parade of highlights. La Grande Parade as evaluation of the museum policy of Edy De Wilde at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam’. Find out more about Karin here.Elizabeth Amisu, PGCE, MA, is editor of The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies and author of The Dangerous Philosophies of Michael Jackson: His Music, His Persona, and His Artistic Afterlife.  www.michaeljacksonstudies.orgfacebook.com/michaeljacksonstudiestwitter.com/mjas29

Abstract: In this sixth episode, Elizabeth and Karin discuss the 2016 documentary, Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to 'Off The Wall', directed by Spike Lee. Their discussion begins with Lee's body of work, and how it connects with this particular documentary, and go on to explore the use of it as a text for teachers, researchers and academics. Throughout this episode the wonderful solo album, Off the Wall remains a key topic of discussion. REFERENCE AS: Merx, Karin, and Elizabeth Amisu. "Episode 6 - 'Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to 'Off the Wall''." Podcast, Michael Jackson's Dream Lives On: An Academic Conversation 2, no. 2 (2016). Published electronically 7/04/16. http://michaeljacksonstudies.org/episode-6-michael-jacksons-journey-from-motown-to-off-the-wall/. The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies asks that you acknowledge The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies as the source of our Content; if you use material from The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies online, we request that you link directly to the stable URL provided. If you use our content offline, we ask that you credit the source as follows: “Courtesy of The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies.” Episode 6 - 'Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to 'Off The Wall'' By Karin Merx & Elizabeth Amisu 'Spike Lee is important because he engages this impassable divide between high art, low art, popular culture and high culture. Spike Lee is one of those directors who are just part of our past, and our present, and our future.' - Elizabeth Amisu All Our References and Where to Easily Find Them 1. Spike Lee's 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks production company has its eponymous roots in African-American history and slave culture. 2. Off The Wall (CD/DVD). 3. Spike Lee, "Malcolm X." (40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, 1992). 4. ———, When The Levees Broke (HBO, 2007). 5. Rolling Stone Magazine 10 Things We Learned From Spike Lee's New Michael Jackson Doc  6. Spike Lee, "They Don't Care About Us (Brazil Version)." 1996. ———. "They Don't Care About Us (Prison Version)." 1996. 7. Joseph Vogel, Man in the Music: The Creative Life and Work of Michael Jackson (Sterling, 2011). 8. Mass Media and Racism by Stephen Balkaran. 9. Colour-blind casting: how far have we really come? 10. Spike Lee, "Bamboozled." (40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, 1992). 11. Spike Lee's profile at NYU. 12. More about Mark Rothko from The Tate. 13. Margo Jefferson, On Michael Jackson (Pantheon, 2006). 14. Nyong’o, Tavia. "Have You Seen His Childhood? Song, Screen, and the Queer Culture of the Child in Michael Jackson's Music." Journal of Popular Music Studies 23, no. 1 (2011): 40-57. 15. Elizabeth Amisu, "MJ Studies Today III (15-03-16)." The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies (2016). See especially quotes from Aisha Staggers and Kerry Hennigan in the comments. 16. Lanre Bakare's review for The Guardian. 17. Japanese trio perform a dynamic cover of Jackson's Smooth Criminal using indigenous instruments. 18. Adrian Grant, Michael Jackson: A Visual Documentary: The Official Tribute Edition (Omnibus, 2009). 19. Dan Harmon's upcoming film told from the perspective of Bubbles the Chimp. 20. Joseph Fiennes to play Jackson in an upcoming television program. 21. A first pressing vinyl record of Off the Wall. Karin Merx BMus, MA, is editor of The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies, and author of  ‘A festive parade of highlights. La Grande Parade as evaluation of the museum policy of Edy De Wilde at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam’. Find out more about Karin here. Elizabeth Amisu, PGCE, MA, is editor of The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies and author of The Dangerous Philosophies of Michael Jackson: His Music, His Persona, and His Artistic Afterlife. Find out more about Elizabeth here. www.michaeljacksonstudies.org facebook.com/michaeljacksonstudies twitter.com/mjas29

Abstract: In this fifth episode, a bonus MJAS Exclusive, Elizabeth and Karin discuss the recent sale of the Sony/ATV catalogue by the Michael Jackson Estate. They use a range of sources to explain exactly what the Estate is, how it functions, and go on to reach new conclusions on Jackson's posthumous resonance from an academic perspective. REFERENCE AS: Merx, Karin, and Elizabeth Amisu. "Episode 5 - MJAS Exclusive: The Business of Michael Jackson’s Estate." Podcast, Michael Jackson's Dream Lives On: An Academic Conversation2, no. 2 (2016). Published electronically 7/04/16. http://michaeljacksonstudies.org/episode-5-mjas-exclusive-the-business-of-michael-jacksons-estate/. The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies asks that you acknowledge The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies as the source of our Content; if you use material from The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies online, we request that you link directly to the stable URL provided. If you use our content offline, we ask that you credit the source as follows: “Courtesy of The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies.” Episode 5 - MJAS Exclusive: The Business of Michael Jackson’s EstateBy Karin Merx & Elizabeth Amisu 'Milton’s bones, for instance, were dug up at the end of the eighteenth century for souvenirs, just as fragments of his early poems had been exhumed and confiscated by minor poets. Neglected at first, eventually competed for, like Homer, by contending cities, the poet goes to meet his shades. But not unsung. With his dying breath, frequently, an industry springs up around him – memorialists, literary undertakers, chisellers, epitaph-makers. The custodians of his fame take charge of manuscripts and the will. He enters his tomb.'– Lawrence Lipking, The Life of the Poet: Beginnings and Endings All Our References and Where to Easily Find Them1. Statement From Michael’s Estate(MJWN)2. Michael’s Estate Sell Sony/ATV Catalogue - Press Release (MJWN)3. Key Concerns Of Trust And Estate Lawyers- Forbes.com4. 'Interview with author, Lynton Guest' In Episode 27 -Sony/ATV Purchase Roundtableby The MJCast (1:12:30-1:37:00)5. 'Even After $750M Sony/ATV Deal, Michael Jackson Misconceptions Abound' by Zack O'Malley Greenburg.6. Artist, Michael Jackson's Last Will and Testament.7. Zack O’Malley Greenburg, Michael Jackson, Inc.(Atria, 2014): 225-226.8. ——— 'Michael Jackson's Career Earnings' In Michael Jackson, Inc.(Atria, 2014): 250-251.9. Comprehensive and clear analysis on the Sony-ATV 'buy-sell clause'by Nonlocal Universe.10. Michael Jackson, "Radio Interview." By Jesse Jackson. Keep Hope Alive(27 March 2005).——— "Anti-Racism Speech" (Harlem, 2002)——— "Killer Thriller Speech" (London, 2002)11. Joseph Vogel, "Chapter 9 - The Final Years" In Man in the Music: The Creative Life and Work of Michael Jackson. Sterling, 2011.12. Sir George Herbert, early modern poet (1593 – 1633) famously asked his friend, Nicholas Ferrarto burn his work, The Templeposthumously, however, Ferrar went on to sell the work.13. Professor Rivkah Zim, Lecturer of Early-Modern English and Comparative Literature at King’s College London. See Elizabeth on the course video here.14. 'Chapter 20 – The Power of the Editor and Michael Jackson’s Posthumous Releases' In The Dangerous Philosophies of Michael Jackson: His Music, His Persona, and His Artistic Afterlife (Praeger, 2016).15. Lawrence Lipking, The Life of the Poet: Beginning and Ending Poetic Careers.Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1981.16. 'Goodbye Neverland' by Elizabeth Amisu (2014)17. Profile of poet, John Milton, author of Paradise Lost.18. Profile of poet, Homer, author of The Iliad. Karin Merx BMus, MA, is editor of The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies, and author of  ‘A festive parade of highlights. La Grande Parade as evaluation of the museum policy of Edy De Wilde at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam’. Elizabeth Amisu, PGCE, MA,