Reading Michael Jackson

As Michael famously said, “it’s all for love” and in this episode that is certainly true! Starting with a reading of Michael’s short reflection “Love” from Dancing the Dream, in this episode we discuss the limitations Michael’s unique life had on his love life, his perspectives on love and creativity, and much more. Join me for an especially “lovey” episode of Reading Michael Jackson. 

As a meditation and reflection on courage, the 20th piece from Dancing the Dream asks us to reevaluate what we consider courageous in search of something more meaningful. In this analysis of “Courage,” we discuss how the unique challenges of Michael’s life made emotional vulnerability even harder for him than the average person. Touching upon issues of gender, toxic masculinity, and Michael’s lyricism around struggles for intimacy, this episode goes deep into the topic of what it means to be vulnerable. 

In the episode I reference Brene Brown’s TedTalk “The Power of Vulnerability.” Check it out if it interests you! https://youtu.be/iCvmsMzlF7o?si=rDw8dv_GrslXwS-E

On this week's episode of Reading Michael Jackson we discuss the short essay "Trust." Written as a reflective piece, Michael offers readers some unexpected perspectives on the role trust plays in our lives, offering that trusting ourselves and overcoming internal fear is at the root of making room in our lives for love. Through discussion and analysis of Michael's words, in this episode I seek to offer my own understanding of this topic, and what I think Michael would have advised each of us to do with it.

We all know that Michael Jackson revered "innocence" and all things associated with purity of heart and spirit. But what exactly does "innocence" mean to him? In this week's episode of Reading Michael Jackson, we will deep dive into this topic in our reading and reflection of the 18th piece featured in Dancing the Dream, aptly titled "Innocence." While some people accuse Michael of being naive, or childlike due to trauma and unrelenting fame since he was young, we might approach this conversation with more nuance than this, instead seeking to understand Michael's point of view as one intentionally maintained, or even cultivated.

In this week's episode of Reading Michael Jackson we kick off with a brief continuation of last week's conversation about "magic" and Michael Jackson. Referencing two books, Michael Jackson: Thrill by Caroline Latham and On the Road with Michael Jackson by Mark Bego, I share insights into how Michael was not only described as a "magical creature" in analyses of his work, but also how he himself saw magic as a key ingredient to artistic longevity.

Moving on, we read and discuss the 17th piece from Dancing the Dream: "The Fish That Was Thirsty." While this is one of the more straightforward pieces in the book, with clear references to God and faith, in this episode I attempt to offer multiple readings of this piece, including non-religious perspectives we can take and apply to our own lives.

In this 16th episode we discuss his short reflection, "Magic," in which Michael draws out the magical elements of nature, calling our inability to be amazed by it an "illusion." For most fans, the word "Magic" is synonymous with Michael Jackson, so tune in for this episode for a discussion on not only the piece, but on Michael's special magic as a performer, and person. Be sure to stay tuned to the very end of this episode for some clips of Michael discussing his thoughts about magic, taken from his 1983 Hayvenhurst interview.

In the poem "Mother," Michael honors Katherine Jackson, crediting her for all he became in life. In this episode we discuss not only the relationship he had with his mother, but also the relationship between creativity and motherhood, and the role unconditional love (and striving for it) may have played in Michael's life. We will also discuss Rose Fine, Michael's school teacher when he was a child, as well as the Dilip Mehta photoshoot featured in Dancing the Dream.

Link to MJJCommunity forum featuring Dilip Mehta's Michael Jackson photography: https://www.mjjcommunity.com/threads/dilip-mehta-dancing-the-dream-photoshoot.72838/

Link to Rose fine and young Michael Jackson/Jackson 5:

https://youtu.be/8LTiQFI8wEQ?si=feYAIK5tg98abVFD

Following a brief but enthusiastic review of amateur concert footage, episode 14 of Reading Michael Jackson explores one of the shortest pieces we have read from Dancing the Dream so far. "Children" is a short reflection of sorts that offers a more straightforward understanding of Michael's compassion for and admiration of children. With part of the piece reading almost identically to Michael's 1993 acceptance speech for the Grammy Legend Award, in this episode we will discuss the piece itself, the speech, as well as Michael's own childhood.

In this special episode of Reading Michael Jackson, we are discussing the 13th piece in Dancing the Dream, the familiar lyrics of Michael's song "Heal the World." While we all know this song, in this episode we dive deep into the structure and meaning of the words and how we can read the repetition of lines, and the specific call to action Michael is making for each and everyone of us.

If you are interested, here is a link to a video of the young man singing "Heal the World," which I open the show with:

https://youtu.be/z_POO0NjDLA?si=xJz5-5H7hrvx8JD8

Also, if you have never seen Michael perform "Heal the World" check out this performance from the Buenos Aires concert during the Dangerous tour:

https://youtu.be/7K5fO-UCveY?si=Lp4Itk3KE4dNFEym

Or, check out Michael's SuperBowl performance which includes "Heal the World":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOnTuSqrvbM

In this essay, Michael tells the story of a teacher traveling the land and telling his student about “the ancients.” As the student struggles to identify any physical sign of where the ancients lived or died, the teacher reminds the student that this absence of evidence is the point. What commentary does this short piece of prose offer a modern reader? Considering both an environmental and spiritual analysis, this week’s discussion focuses on human legacy and the “mark” we can leave.

In addition to analyzing the piece itself, stay tuned for an in-depth discussion about the artwork Michael frequently commissioned depicting himself as a king, or royal figure. What might have been Michael's motivation for doing this and how can we interpret these images today?