Houston, TX, November 18, 2009 – No one has ever affected so many generations the way that Michael Jackson did in his lifetime. Being at the center of major changes in our culture, economy and politics for such a long period, it is no surprise that his death and the consequent outpouring of emotion affected many people in many ways, regardless of their musical preference.
The Resistible Demise of Michael Jackson (ZerO) edited by Mark Fisher is not ‘just another book’ on this star idol. It is neither an unthinking tribute nor a rumor-mongering character assassination. It i s a definitive account of this man’s extraordinary life and legacy in the form of twenty-four essays, written by two generations of the world’s best music writers, for those who love his music and want to understand the times he defined. It will enable readers to enjoy Jackson’s music in even greater depth as the writers provide striking new angles on familiar songs. Written with sophistication, originality and passion, these essays are a literary complement to the man they seek to understand. It offers heartfelt and informed answers to the questions that Jackson’s death has posed.
His untimely death ended an era that Jackson had characterized more than anyone else in the music world – one that brought him unprecedented fame and one that will unlikely ever be repeated. Fisher’s brilliant book does a superb job of bringing together these great music writers in a serious yet sincere account that will offer a new outlook on what this iconic figure’s life and career were all about. The contributors include accomplished music critics as well as renowned theorists and make up some of the most eloquent writers on pop music today. Fisher includes greats like Barney Hoskyns, Ian Penman, David Stubbs, Paul Lester, Chris Roberts, Joshua Clover and Tom Ewing.
Mark Fisher writes for The Wire, Sight & Sound, frieze and New Statesman. He teaches philosophy at the City Literary Institute in London, and his site ‘k-punk’ is one of the most successful theory weblogs. Check it out at: http://k-punk.abstractdynamics.org/
