The familiar story of Delta blues musician Robert Johnson, who sold his soul to the devil at a Mississippi crossroads in exchange for guitar virtuosity, and the violent stereotypes evoked by legendary blues "bad men" like Stagger Lee undergird the persistent racial myths surrounding "authentic" blues expression. Fictional Blues unpacks the figure of the American blues performer, moving from early singers such as Ma Rainey and Big Mama Thornton to contemporary musicians such as Amy Winehouse, Rhiannon Giddens, and Jack White to reveal that blues makers have long used their songs, performances, interviews, and writings to invent personas that resist racial, social, economic, and gendered oppression.
Using examples of fictional and real-life blues artists culled from popular music and literary works from writers such as Walter Mosley, Alice Walker, and Sherman Alexie, Kimberly Mack demonstrates that the stories blues musicians construct about their lives (however factually slippery) are inextricably linked to the "primary story" of the narrative blues tradition, in which autobiography fuels musicians' reclamation of power and agency.
| ISBN: | 9781625345509 |
| Publication date: | 18th December 2020 |
| Author: | Kimberly Mack |
| Publisher: | University of Massachusetts Press |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Pagination: | 264 pages |
| Series: | African American Intellectual History |
| Genres: |
Popular philosophy Popular culture Literary companions, book reviews and guides Art music, orchestral and formal music Popular music Music reviews and criticism Literary studies: general Literature: history and criticism |
Fictional Blues unpacks the figure of the American blues performer, moving from early singers such as Ma Rainey and Big Mama Thornton to contemporary musicians such as Amy Winehouse, Rhiannon Giddens, and Jack White to reveal that blues makers have long used their songs, performances, interviews, and writings to invent personas that resist racial, social, economic, and gendered oppression.Using examples of fictional and real-life blues artists culled from popular music and literary works from writers such as Walter Mosley, Alice Walker, and Sherman Alexie, Kimberly Mack demonstrates that the stories blues musicians construct about their lives (however factually slippery) are inextricably linked to the "primary story" of the narrative blues tradition, in which autobiography fuels musicians' reclamation of power and agency.
Fictional Blues features in the following genres: Popular philosophy, Popular culture, Literary companions, book reviews and guides, Art music, orchestral and formal music, Popular music, Music reviews and criticism, Literary studies: general, Literature: history and criticism
Hardback, Paperback. £24.29, down from the £26.99 cover price. Not Available.
Fictional Blues was written by Kimberly Mack and published by University of Massachusetts Press
Fictional Blues has 264 pages
Yes it is part of African American Intellectual History series
£24.29, reduced from £26.99. Not Available.