[unlocked] LITM Extra - Interview with Daphne A. Brooks pt.1

Love is the Message: Dance, Music and Counterculture

Unlocked - for a number of personal reasons, we've been unable to record the episode on Bob Marley and the Wailers. In its stead, we've taken this opportunity to unlocked both parts of our interview with Daphne A. Brooks, previously only available to patrons. Become a patron from £3pcm to access much more of this material at www.patreon.com/LoveMessagePod. We'll be back to pick up with Afro-Psychedelia very soon.

In this episode Daphne talks with Tim and Jeremy about the writers, practitioners and 'organic intellectuals' who have created a new discourse around Black female sound, taking in figures such as the writer and collector of field recordings Zora Neale Hurston, the writer, journalist and singer Pauline Hopkins, and the writer and playwright Lorraine Hansberry. They dig into what it means to hold precious these forgotten figures, affectionate writing praxis, and the relationship between curatorial or archival work and contemporary music making. In part 2, coming in a fortnight, we will hear about some of the contemporary artists featured in the book, including Janelle Monáe and Beyonce.

Daphne A. Brooks is William R. Kenan, Jr. professor of African American studies, American Studies, Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies and Music at Yale University; she is also director of graduate studies.She specializes in African American literary cultural performance studies, especially 19th century and trans-Atlantic culture. She is a rock music lover and has attributed her research interests in black performance to being a fan of rock music since a very young age.

Produced and edited by Matt Huxley.

Tracklist:

Zora Neale Hurston - Wake Up Jacob (trad. recorded 1928 in the field)
Mamie Smith - Crazy Blues
Elvie Thomas & Geeshie Wiley - Over To My House
Elvie Thomas & Gershie Wiley - Last Kind Words Blues

Books:
Daphne A. Brooks - Liner Notes for the Revolution: The Intellectual Life of Black Feminist Sound
Daphne A. Brooks - Jeff Buckley’s Grace
Zora Neale Hurston - Their Eyes Were Watching God
Pauline Hopkins - Of One Blood