Volume 3 Special Edition ‘Dangerous’ 25 2016

Abstract
In this Dangerous celebration issue, we added some of the most exciting content on Dangerous the Journal has published. In this issue, we published the wonderful interview with Isabelle Petitjean, the essay On Michael Jackson ‘Dancing the Dream’, by Elizabeth Amisu, our latest podcast Michael Jackson’s Dancing the Dream and the wonderful course Michael Jackson’s Dangerous, by Elizabeth Amisu. In addition, we included the free video series and lecture on Dangerous by Elizabeth Amisu and the academic book review on Susan Fast’s Dangerous by Karin Merx.


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.”


v3-special-issueContent

1 Editorial by Karin Merx

2. Episode 19 – Episode 19 – Celebrating Dangerous 25: Michael Jackson’s ‘Dancing The Dream’
by Karin Merx & Elizabeth Amisu and guest author Andy Healy

3. An Interview with Isabelle Petitjean
by The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies

4. Free Video Series: Studying Michael Jackson’s Dangerous: 4 Reasons to Re-Listen!
by Elizabeth Amisu

5.  Free Video Series: Studying Michael Jackson’s Dangerous: 4 Reasons to re-watch!
By Elizabeth Amisu

6. Free Video Series: Studying Michael Jackson’s Dangerous: 4 Reasons To Read Dangerous Philosophies
By Elizabeth Amisu

7. Free Video Series: Studying Michael Jackson’s Dangerous: 4 Reasons to Read Susan Fast’s Dangerous
By Elizabeth Amisu

8. Lecture: Studying Michael Jackson’s ‘Dangerous’: Rediscovering The ‘Dangerous’ Dream
by Elizabeth Amisu

9. Michael Jackson’s Dangerous Online Video Course
with Elizabeth Amisu

10. On Michael Jackson’s Dancing the Dream
by Elizabeth Amisu

11. Academic Book Review: ‘Dangerous’ by Susan Fast
by Karin Merx


1 Editorial 

25 Years ago, Michael Jackson launched his epic album Dangerous. This album was the first one he made without Quince Jones in which he fully gave his own artistic view. The album has a beautiful cover painted by Mark Ryden, which also tells us something about the interest and knowledge of Michael Jackson in fine art. Susan Fast named this album the coming-of-age album of Jackson. It certainly is his most complete work of art with the songs, the short films and the book Dancing the Dream: Poems and Reflections.

We start this issue with our latest podcast Celebrating Dangerous 25: Michael Jackson’s ‘Dancing the Dream’. In this 1.5 hour discussion with Karin Merx, Elizabeth Amisu and guest author Andy Healy, the 1992 publication Dancing the Dream is dissected. The episode is inspired by the essay On Michael Jackson’s Dancing the Dream by Elizabeth Amisu, which we re-publish in this special edition.

We also included the wonderful interview with Isabelle Petitjean who wrote the book Dangerous’, from Mark Ryden to Michael Jackson, Dangerous: Pop Culture at the Pantheon of Fine-Arts

Elizabeth developed a free video series on Dangerous with a lecture. This online video series is designed to show learners how they can understand the mysteries of Michael Jackson’s Dangerous album, its companion texts, Dancing the Dream and the Dangerous Short Films. In addition, she also developed a fantastic online video course on Michael Jackson’s Dangerous.

Last but not least we re-publish the academic book review of Karin Merx on Susan Fast’s Dangerous

Karin Merx


2 Episode 19 – Celebrating Dangerous 25: Michael Jackson’s ‘Dancing The Dream’
by Karin Merx & Elizabeth Amisu and guest author Andy Healy

This episode is a celebration of Michael Jackson’s 1991 album, Dangerous, which has its 25th anniversary this month. Karin, Elizabeth, and special guest, author Andy Healy discuss Michael Jackson’s 1992 publication, Dancing the Dream: Poems & Reflections. The three researchers draw new conclusions inspired by the chapter, ‘On Michael Jackson’s Dancing the Dream in Elizabeth’s Dangerous Philosophies of Michael Jacksonand consider all the facets of this amazing release.

http://michaeljacksonstudies.org/episode-19/


3 An Interview with Isabelle Petitjean 
by The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies

Isabelle Petitjean discusses her writing process of the landmark book on Michael Jackson’s Dangerous album and fine art entitled, Dangerous’, from Mark Ryden to Michael Jackson, Dangerous: Pop Culture at the Pantheon of Fine-ArtsThis interview is also available in French via the following link: http://michaeljacksonstudies.org/interview-disabelle-petitjean-an-interview-with-isabelle-petitjean.

Published electronically 21/09/16 in The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies 3, no. 1 (2016) http://michaeljacksonstudies.org/an-interview-with-isabelle-petitjean/.


4 Free Video Series: Studying Michael Jackson’s Dangerous: 4 Reasons to Re-Listen!
by Elizabeth Amisu

In the first free video, Elizabeth explains why a Dangerous re-listening session is an excellent place to start. Dangerous often comes across as such an enigmatic album, so mysterious.

More importantly, you’ll learn four reasons why a re-listen of Dangerous will bring you so much more than you might expect. Remember that Dangerous, like all of Michael Jackson’s creative work, was designed to be dissected and deconstructed – and that’s part of the fun.

Published electronically 24/8/16. in The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies 3, no. 1 (2016). http://michaeljacksonstudies.org/fvs2-2/


5 Free Video Series: Studying Michael Jackson’s Dangerous: 4 Reasons to re-watch!
By Elizabeth Amisu

In her second video, Elizabeth encourages you to re-watch the Dangerous Anthology of short films that Michael Jackson produced between 1991 and 1993, and I give you four reasons why I believe they are a marvelous place to focus your learning next.

Published electronically 25/8/16 in The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies 3, no. 2 (2016).  http://michaeljacksonstudies.org/fvs2-1/.


6 Free Video Series: Studying Michael Jackson’s Dangerous: 4 Reasons To Read Dangerous Philosophies 
By Elizabeth Amisu

In the third video, Elizabeth encourages you to read the Dangerous-focused chapters in The Dangerous Philosophies of Michael Jackson: His Music, His Persona, and His Artistic Afterlife. She spent three years listening, watching, and reading Michael Jackson’s work in a passion project which resulted in the world’s first comprehensive academic book on Michael’s whole solo adult career.

Published electronically 26/8/16 in The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies 3, no. 1 (2016).  http://michaeljacksonstudies.org/fvs2-3/.


7 Free Video Series: Studying Michael Jackson’s Dangerous: 4 Reasons to Read Susan Fast’s Dangerous
By Elizabeth Amisu

In the fourth video of the free video series, you’ll discover 4 reasons why Susan Fast’s Dangerous is an excellent companion to your Dangerous research.

Published electronically 1/9/16 in The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies 3, no. 1 (2016).  http://michaeljacksonstudies.org/fvs2-4/.


8 Lecture: Studying Michael Jackson’s ‘Dangerous’: Rediscovering The ‘Dangerous’ Dream
by Elizabeth Amisu

This free Online Lecture and Q & A can show you how to understand the mysteries of Dangerous and unravel the enigma that is early nineties Michael Jackson creativity.

Published electronically 4/9/16 in The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies 3, no. 1 (2016).  http://michaeljacksonstudies.org/fvs2-5/


Michael Jackson’s Dangerous Online Video Course 
with Elizabeth Amisu

Dance the dream and expand your knowledge of Michael Jackson’s Dangerous to include fresh new perspectives on the landmark album that changed history. This in-depth 6-week online video course is part of Michael Jackson Studies*, a brand new field of research which uses the theories of film, music and culture, while at the same time entering the debates surrounding Michael Jackson’s creative works.

This course has

  • 14 video lessons of study
  • 6 online lessons with directed tasks
  • Self-directed viewing & personal note-taking
  • Certificate of Completion

http://onlineartseducation.co.uk/course/dangerous/


10 On Michael Jackson’s Dancing the Dream
by Elizabeth Amisu

Michael Jackson’s words were disseminated in liner notes, magazines and even a blog. His first published book was a 1988 autobiography, Moonwalk; the second, a children’s storybook based on Moonwalker (dir. Jerry Kramer, 1988) and the last, a 1992 publication called Dancing the Dream. ‘On Michael Jackson’s Dancing the Dream’ contextualises this collection of ‘poems and reflections’ within its author’s career and positions a work which Jackson described as ‘more autobiographical than Moonwalk’ as a pivotal moment in his career. The essay poses and answers, using emerging academic study of Jackson’s art, the following questions: ‘what exactly is Dancing the Dream’ and ‘how is it significant’?

The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies 1, no. 2 (2014). http://michaeljacksonstudies.org/on-michael-jacksons-dancing-the-dream/. Originally published in Writing Eliza (2014). Published electronically 7/7/14. http://elizabethamisu.com/post/91073957802/on-michael-jacksons-dancing-the-dream-dangerous.


11 Academic Book Review: ‘Dangerous’ by Susan Fast
by Karin Merx

Dangerous’ is a must read for every Michael Jackson fan, non-fan, critic or music lover. Dr. Susan Fast meticulously researched Michael Jackson’s 1991 album in a way that has never been done before and in doing so she puts Jackson back where he belongs; in the spotlight as the highly talented black musician and artist he was… and he was dangerous too!

The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies, 1, no. 1 (2014). Published electronically 22/09/14. http://michaeljacksonstudies.org/dangerous-by-dr-susan-fast/.