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xoxochrist's review against another edition
5.0
Took a class with Jefferson last year and her writing does not disappoint. Brilliant, insightful, authoritative and thorough do not begin to do this book justice. I’m not super knowledgeable or familiar with Jackson’s career or controversies (aside from Leaving Neverland) and this book read like an interrogative documentary in which Jefferson does not disappear or feed into her subject’s persona, but instead brings herself and Michael into breath-taking clarity. If you’re at all interested or a fan of writing about media, it’s worth it for the song, video and dance descriptions alone.
leucocrystal's review against another edition
4.0
Though it includes a variety of factual errors in regard to Michael's career and life, it's worth noting that many of these essays were written while he was still alive (and even today there is very little legitimate research on hand for authors to consult). For the position Jefferson was in as a writer, she does an admirable job of being relatively accurate, but that's not really the main point — her goal with this collection is more creative interpretation of the man's work. Some passages — her read of Michael's often overlooked role in 1978's "The Wiz" jumped out at me immediately — contain some rather stunning insight. She may be looking at the man from an angle askance, but that doesn't prevent her from making some valid and interesting points.
caroni's review
5.0
On Michael Jackson by Margo Jefferson was absolutely fascinating. I loved her memoir Negroland, and this new book is equally amazing. The book is new to the UK with an updated intro but it was originally out in the US in 2006. It was good to read about Michael Jackson and his career beyond the tawdry headlines.
bettyreads's review
challenging
informative
medium-paced
3.0
Dang what a book that has left me with conflicting feels as does the topic of the book itself. Michael Jackson is an enigma and that Margo Jefferson took the time to break down the different facets of his life that led to the trial was quite something. I was talking to my brother and while of course we heard of MJ's music we didn't grow up listening to it frequently in a Latinx household but it was everywhere in the 90s and early 2000s so that this breaks down the videos and how he was sexualized from a young age and also played into that was something I hadn't known or realized. Thinking about the millions of perceptions placed on this guy and my thought has always been we have no idea what the truth of what he was thinking or going through was because we just saw an image of what he wanted to present or what we projected and therefore that was about the person. I think at the end of it all the last chapter The Trial reminded me of where I stand, not okay with any of the allegations and will always stand with the side of those being brave enough to call out the harm and not make them villains like many seemed to do at the time because of the media and the she said he said of it all. It's like just listen and believe what the person that went through the traumatic event is telling you especially in this case where it's children, regardless of their parents role or whatever, no one deserves any of what they went through. So many thoughts. I did miss this book club convo when it happened way back when and gonna have to hit some members up to discuss bc lots to digest.
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