Recently thanks to Stevie Cato, been in touch with Author Kimasi L. Browne who's dissertation entitled "Soul Or Nothing" was featured in a recent news item
He sent me such a enjoyable and interesting email that felt a need to ask him if ok to post it up here as it explains the background to "Soul Or Nothing" and other things much better than my words could ever do.
Not only did he say ok to passing on the email , but he also passed on a copy of a recent paper based on the dissertation that was given at the Manchester Institute of Popular Culture at Manchester Metropolitan University yesterday.
Many thanks to Kimasi both for the email and the copy of the paper, as it says he will be at Cleethorpes this weekend
The email is below, and the paper will be up in the articles section in a moment or two
mike
I'm in the UK carrying out follow-up research to convert the
dissertation into a "hard copy" book manuscript.
The study looks at the scene in 1998 and traces its roots from the
early 1960s. At the time I began the study in 1996 there were only two
books on Northern Soul ("Nightshift" and "Soul Survivor"). In "Soul
or Nothing" I review all of the books on the subject that I could
reasonably locate up to 2005. As a dissertation my writing s
deliberately academic, however I purposefully wrote everything with
the Northern Soul community an intended audience. When I was on the
scene in 1998, everyone treated me with so much love and
respect--never failing to help me to ultimately understand just what
Northern Soul was all about. I don't know if I completely understand
everything, but I have tried to be true to what so many fans told me
was important to them. They made it perfectly clear that they don't
want to be documented as some kind of social objects, like they feel
the mainstream media has done. I have also tried to address all
issues based on what the fans presented to me on what they felt was
important.
I feel like I am a part of the Northern Soul scene now, even though
I'm African American and Californian--not a collector, no longer a
dancer, and not knowledgeable about so much on the scene (too much to
learn--even in eight years).
While I'm in the UK I want to connect with all of the people who were
informants on my project. I want to personally give them a digital
copy of the work and to shake their hand and thank each one
personally. .
I will be.presenting a paper based on the dissertation tomorrow at the
Manchester Institute of Popular Culture at Manchester Metropolitan
University in City Centre.
I am attaching the paper that I will read at 14:00 on Thursday.
Afterwards, you may post it on the site for the fans to read and
comment if they want to. The paper is being presented at an academic
conference called "Manchester: Music and Place" to a group of cultural
studies scholars from all over the world, most of whom have never
heard of Nothern Soul.
I hope to meet you Mike, since I'm in the UK for 2 months. I will be
at the Cleethorpes Weekender so I can give a copy of the dissertation
to Ady Croasdell. And, I know I'm going to enjoy being in a warm and
loving Northern Soul environment once again. (I hope they don't kick
me out of the country after reading what I've written).
Mike 2 posts
Soul-slider 1 post
Recently thanks to Stevie Cato, been in touch with Author Kimasi L. Browne who's dissertation entitled "Soul Or Nothing" was featured in a recent news item
He sent me such a enjoyable and interesting email that felt a need to ask him if ok to post it up here as it explains the background to "Soul Or Nothing" and other things much better than my words could ever do.
Not only did he say ok to passing on the email , but he also passed on a copy of a recent paper based on the dissertation that was given at the Manchester Institute of Popular Culture at Manchester Metropolitan University yesterday.
Many thanks to Kimasi both for the email and the copy of the paper, as it says he will be at Cleethorpes this weekend
The email is below, and the paper will be up in the articles section in a moment or two
mike
I'm in the UK carrying out follow-up research to convert the
dissertation into a "hard copy" book manuscript.
The study looks at the scene in 1998 and traces its roots from the
early 1960s. At the time I began the study in 1996 there were only two
books on Northern Soul ("Nightshift" and "Soul Survivor"). In "Soul
or Nothing" I review all of the books on the subject that I could
reasonably locate up to 2005. As a dissertation my writing s
deliberately academic, however I purposefully wrote everything with
the Northern Soul community an intended audience. When I was on the
scene in 1998, everyone treated me with so much love and
respect--never failing to help me to ultimately understand just what
Northern Soul was all about. I don't know if I completely understand
everything, but I have tried to be true to what so many fans told me
was important to them. They made it perfectly clear that they don't
want to be documented as some kind of social objects, like they feel
the mainstream media has done. I have also tried to address all
issues based on what the fans presented to me on what they felt was
important.
I feel like I am a part of the Northern Soul scene now, even though
I'm African American and Californian--not a collector, no longer a
dancer, and not knowledgeable about so much on the scene (too much to
learn--even in eight years).
While I'm in the UK I want to connect with all of the people who were
informants on my project. I want to personally give them a digital
copy of the work and to shake their hand and thank each one
personally. .
I will be.presenting a paper based on the dissertation tomorrow at the
Manchester Institute of Popular Culture at Manchester Metropolitan
University in City Centre.
I am attaching the paper that I will read at 14:00 on Thursday.
Afterwards, you may post it on the site for the fans to read and
comment if they want to. The paper is being presented at an academic
conference called "Manchester: Music and Place" to a group of cultural
studies scholars from all over the world, most of whom have never
heard of Nothern Soul.
I hope to meet you Mike, since I'm in the UK for 2 months. I will be
at the Cleethorpes Weekender so I can give a copy of the dissertation
to Ady Croasdell. And, I know I'm going to enjoy being in a warm and
loving Northern Soul environment once again. (I hope they don't kick
me out of the country after reading what I've written).