Inner Michael

The Legacy Continues…

MIM refers to “Man in the Music: The Creative Life and Work of Michael Jackson” which is Joe Vogel’s third book. The first two Free Speech and The Obama Movement are glimpses into the inner workings of American politics. Surprised? Don’t be. The first book is about the campaign to remove Michael Moore from a speaking engagement at Utah Valley State College after Joe invited him to speak and a civil liberties battle ensued. The second book, Obama Movement is about how youth, idealistic and eager, conscripted social media to elect a new kind of president.

That makes Joe Vogel an activist. It makes him a “David” role model with a moral compass who stood up to a Goliath and won! So it is no surprise that Joe Vogel would take on the task of treasure hunting through the hype and tabloid caricature of a man whom history will record as a twentieth century “shaker” who changed the world by shaking things up.

In case you had any doubt about where Joe stands on Michael Jackson and America, check out his feature story at Voices Education Project’s Words and Violence curriculum.

Michael Jackson’s brilliance as an artist has often been overshadowed by the tabloid frenzy that surrounded his unusual life. Now author Joseph Vogel returns to to the albums, songs and videos that made the King of Pop a cultural force in the first place. From Off the Wall and Thriller, to Bad, Dangerous, HIStory and beyond, Vogel takes us deep inside Jackson’s vast musical catalog. Each song is carefully considered, from well-known classics like “Billie Jean” and “Beat It” to lesser-known standouts like “Stranger in Moscow” and “Who Is It.”

Meticulously researched and documented, Man in the Music draws on hundreds of sources, including news archives, reviews, Jackson’s own words, and interviews with key collaborators. With each chapter, Vogel takes the reader back in time, placing the music in its social and historical context, discussing its relation to Jackson’s personal life, and revealing never-before-heard stories from the studio. Featuring a foreword by Rolling Stone contributing editor Anthony DeCurtis and a wealth of color photos, this unique book provides the first comprehensive assessment of the “man in the music.

What’s a PMF or Pay Michael Forward?

A new website called Pay Michael Forward was born and stood up on its inaugural legs on November 1. Pay Michael Forward is an activist site with a mission to clear up the misconceptions about Michael Jackson and to educate a public dumbed down and numb from the tabloidization of this American icon and treasure. It is a site that promotes Joe Vogel’s book and activities surrounding the changing the cultural meme by promoting the first definitive serious work by an author that examines the musical library of the American artist Michael Jackson.

Have you seen the article Joe Vogel wrote for Voices Education Project? It will make your eyes water. You will never see Michael Jackson quite the same again. The first author to really take on the meme and the mocking of a twentieth century icon, Joe Vogel steps out to cry “foul!”

Be sure to read the feature story at Voices called “Am I the Beast You Visualized?” And take a look at the discussion questions designed to provoke dialogue and civil discourse.

What’s a Joe Vogel?

JOSEPH VOGEL is the author of three books, including the highly-anticipated Man in the Music: The Creative Life and Work of Michael Jackson . He writes about popular music and culture for The Huffington Post and PopMatters. Vogel has written several exclusive pieces on Michael Jackson, including the first U.S. review of the posthumous album, Michael, and the groundbreaking monograph, Earth Song: Inside Michael Jackson’s Magnum Opus. He currently resides in New York where he is a doctoral candidate and instructor at the University of Rochester.

Who’s Amy Grace? And why did she say “Everything I Need to Know I Learned from Michael Jackson?”

Amy Grace is an artist and visionary who created the Inner Michael website. As she looked at the body of work by Michael Jackson, she realized that while Robert Fulghum learned everythign he needed to know to prepare for life he learned in Kindergarten, she learned everything she needed to know from Michael Jackson. So ever the artist, she created a beautiful gold and black poster with all the “everythings” Michael taught her.

Amy and I are out to change the meaning of the term “Michaeling.” Instead of meaning surfing the net for all things Michael, it now means doing humanitarian work in the world on behalf of, in the name of, in honor of or as a memorial tribute to the late Michael Jackson. So Amy created a “Keep Michaeling!” T shirt. Both items are contest prizes.

So, if you haven’t joined the movement to push Joe Vogel’s book to the best seller list, do it now. If you have purchased books, be sure to fill out the contest form so your name is in the drawing.

Good Luck! And “keep Michaeling!”