Here is what it says on the back cover of "Soul Babies: Black Popular = Culture And The Post Soul Aesthetic"
"Mark Anthony Neal is Asistant Proffesor of English and Africana Studies = at the State University of New York at Albany. He is the author of = "What The Music Said: Black Popular Music and Black Popular Culture, = also published by Routledge" http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0415926580/prodigymusiccomm <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0415926580/prodigymusiccomm";>AOL Link: Soul Babies: Black Popular Culture And The Post Soul = Aesthetic </a> You all know Mark Anthony Neal because he is a member of Soul-Patrol. In fact, he is one of the very first people to sign up as a member. I first met Mark Anthony Neal here on the internet maybe about 5 years = ago on an internet forum which proports to be a fourm of "Black = Intelectuals" and in fact is largey populated with folks who are in the = world of acidemia, activist politics, media, etc. In fact at that time = many of the people on the mailing list were some of the very same people = that you see writing op-ed pieces and as "talking heads" on Sunday = Morning news programs. Folks like Lannie Guineer, Ward Conerley, Harry = Allen and others were a part of this forum. In other words, it was comprised of both right wing/left wing = "blowhards", who were all quite intese and opinionated. LOL Anyhow, there was a discussion about "Black Authors" and I mentioned = that my favorite Black author was Ralph Wiley. In this forum of "blowhards", nobody knew who Ralph Wiley was...lol (except for Mark Anthony Neal) Ralph Wiley is a writer/tv commentator who also explores pop culture and = it's impact on Black people. The name of his first book is "Why Black People Tend To Shout" He also speaks with an honest voice about the things that Black people = do to themseves that hold us back far more than anything that the KKK or = the CIA is doing to us. In Wiley's second book "What Black People Should Do Now", the first = chaper is called "Why Black People Don't Buy Books". In this chapter Wiley unfold the lament of the Black writer who is = unable to get his book published, becaue book publishers contend that = "Black People Don't Buy Books", and thus if "Black People Don't Buy = Books", then there is NO NEED FOR BLACK WRITERS TO EXIST (and therefore = no need for Ralph Wiley to exist). I only bring up Wiley in this context because in his books, essays, = magazine articles, televison comentaries, etc Ralph Wiley makes it clear = that he is a "stone cold funkateer", both literally and figuratively. It really shouldn't come as any surprise that Ralph Wiley is my favorite = author.. HE IS THE SAME EXACT AGE AS ME. Therefore despite never having met, we have a "shared common = exprienece", even if we may not always agree with each other, I always = clearly understand where Ralph Wiley is coming from. So what does this "mumbo jumbo" have to do with Mark Anthony Neal's new = book entitled: Soul Babies: Black Popular Culture And The Post Soul Aesthetic? http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0415926580/prodigymusiccomm <a = href=3D"http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0415926580/prodigymusiccom= m "> AOL Link: Soul Babies: Black Popular Culture And The Post Soul = Aesthetic </a> Mark's basic premise in the book is that there is indeed something = called "The Post Soul Aesthetic"! He defines this as being a particuliar mindset of people ("Black = intelectuals") who were born AFTER 1963 and who have NO DIRECT FIRSTHAND = MEMORIES OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT. Thus these are a group of folks for whom the Civil Rights Movement = itself, exists more as a set of images and icons, rather than as a = "flesh & blood experience". Mark is writing from the perspective of the next generation removed from = the perspective of someone like Ralph Wiley However, it's not quite simple enough to say that... Mark also says that while these people have no direct firsthand memories = of the Civil Rights Movement, they are completely infused with a direct = firsthand memory of 1970's Black culture ("soul culture" if you will) = and that it's impact completely dominates the Black culture of the = 1980's/1990's ("post soul culture" if you will) in ways that are not = immediatly apparent. Mark also states that because there is no overriding "movement" for = people coming of age, in the 1980's/1990's to grab hold of, they grab = hold of "hip hop" as a "movement" that defines much of the "who, what, = when, why, where and why" of what Black culture has evolved into and = where it is headed. Roughly, Mark is talking about "Black intelectuals" between the ages of = 28 - 38 years old. Thus from a "funkateer's perspective" (mine), these would be "our = younger brothers and sisters"! He's talking about people such as Kevin Powell, Tricia Rose, Nelson = George, Greg Tate, Vernon Reid and others who are attempting to define = just what all of the past 20 years of Black culture or so have meant in = a serious manner. Interestingly enough, Mark DOES NOT include folks like Eddie Murphy & = Spike Lee, they are of the "previous generation/mindset"! (so there is a clear dividing line) Mark also includes himself in this group (as well he should) and then = proceeds to explore various aspects of Black culture, based on his = experiences as both a Black studies proffesor and as a person who = defines himself as "post soul" along with the many "connections & = disconnections" that aren't always apparent! The book itself is a series of long essays that are very detailed and = well thought out. For example, the two essays: * "Sweetback's Revenge" (Gangsters, Blaxploitation, Black Middle Class = Identity) * "Baby Mama (drama) and Baby Daddy (trauma) (Post Soul Gender Politics) Are nothing short of a brilliant analysis of the impact of 1970's Black = popular culture on the mindset of the generation that came after. (I dunno Mark, maybe a "PBS style documentry"?) These are the two chapters in the book that will be of most interest to = Soul-Patrollers (probably for their "nostalgia value). I have never seen the culture of MY GENERATION (70's funkateers) = explored in such a detailed and serious manner before. I don't want to spoil this for anyone, but just as an example, Mark's = analysis of the body of work done by John Amos and the REAL meaning of = his work, is absolutly brilliant! Other chapters focus on economics, and how for example this is the very = first generation of Blacks who understand intuitively what the worldwide = economic impact of Black culture is. This generation of Blacks actually plan how to immediatly turn the = culture into a markatable comodity (selling out?) before they even = create the product. =20 Mark doesn't see that as being a bad thing at all. =20 Better to plan your "sell out" than have it imposed on you?=20 or as Hattie McDaniels said... "Better to play a maid in the movies, than to be one in real life" Anyhow... There is a LOT of good "food for thought" in the book and I highly = reccomend it to everyone here on Soul-Patrol! It explores a complex topic that is right here in front of us, and Mark = provides some well needed clarity about 80's & 90's Black Culture and = where it might be headed in the future! You can order it online at the following link... http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0415926580/prodigymusiccomm <a = href=3D"http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0415926580/prodigymusiccom= m "> AOL Link: Soul Babies: Black Popular Culture And The Post Soul = Aesthetic </a> Go to the link and order it. Support yet another Soul-Patroller who is out there telling the truth = about OURstory! I have no doubt that Ralph Wiley is smiling... ------------------------------------------------------ Bob Davis ------------------------------------------------------ http://www.soul-patrol.com/ - Click Here For SOUL PATROL ------------------------------------------------------ http://communities.prodigy.net/music/ - Click Here for PRODIGY MUSIC ------------------------------------------------------
