Lauren Michele Jackson

Lauren Michele Jackson (born 1991) is an American culture critic and assistant professor of English and African American studies at Northwestern University. Her first book, White Negroes (2019), is a nonfiction collection of essays that explores cultural appropriation.[1][2]

Dr.
Lauren Michele Jackson
NationalityAmerican
Occupation(s)Culture critic, scholar, writer
Known forWhite Negroes (2019)
TitleAssistant professor
Academic background
EducationUniversity of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign (BA)
University of Chicago (PhD)
ThesisBlack Vertigo: Nausea, Aphasia, and Bodily Noise, 1970s to the present (2019)
Academic work
DisciplineEnglish, African-American studies
InstitutionsNorthwestern University

Career edit

Jackson attended University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for her bachelor's degree. She received her doctoral degree in English Language and Literature from University of Chicago. Her dissertation is titled "Black Vertigo: Nausea, Aphasia, and Bodily Noise, 1970s to the present."[3] In 2019, Jackson was hired at Northwestern University as an assistant professor in the departments of English and African American studies.[2]

Jackson began freelance writing when she was a doctoral student.[4] She has written for Vulture, The Paris Review, and The New Yorker, among others.[5][6]

Jackson's debut book, White Negroes: Cornrows Were in Vogue... and Other Thoughts on Cultural Appropriation[7] "explores how appropriation manifests in music, art, memes, and more."[8] It was published by Beacon Press in November 2019.[9] The title was inspired by the 1957 Norman Mailer essay "The White Negro".[1] Reviewing the book for Vox, Alanna Okun wrote, "Using case studies ranging from the Kardashians to Miley Cyrus to Paula Deen to Big Dick Energy, she explores and pinpoints the term with nuance, curiosity, and wryness."[10]

She was named a contributing writer for The New Yorker in September 2020.[11]

Bibliography edit

Books edit

  • White Negroes: Cornrows Were in Vogue... and Other Thoughts on Cultural Appropriation (2019), Beacon Press; ISBN 9780807002735

Essays and reporting edit

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Notes
  1. ^ Online version is titled "Alice Walker's journals depict an artist restless on her laurels".

References edit

  1. ^ a b "[Conversation Issue] 'Appropriation is not in and of itself a bad thing, but the way it's invoked in the culture makes it seem like it is'—Lauren Michele Jackson talks to Khanya Mtshali about her book, White Negroes". The Johannesburg Review of Books. 2020-01-16. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
  2. ^ a b "Lauren Michele Jackson On 'White Negroes'". NPR.org. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
  3. ^ "Lauren Michele Jackson Doesn't Do Hot Takes | Tableau". tableau.uchicago.edu. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
  4. ^ "Criticism in Public: An interview with Lauren Michele Jackson". The Point Magazine. 2022-06-28. Retrieved 2022-06-29.
  5. ^ Kearse, Stephen (2019-11-08). "Lauren Michele Jackson Wants to Change How We Talk About Appropriation". The Nation. ISSN 0027-8378. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
  6. ^ Pearson, Laura. "In highly anticipated 'White Negroes,' Lauren Michele Jackson offers nuanced critique of cultural appropriation". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
  7. ^ Jackson, Lauren Michele, 1991- (2019). White Negroes : when cornrows were in vogue ... and other thoughts on cultural appropriation. Boston, Massachusetts. ISBN 978-0-8070-1180-5. OCLC 1086481230.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  8. ^ "Quietly Curious: PW Talks with Lauren Michele Jackson". PublishersWeekly.com. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
  9. ^ Feldman, Brian (2019-12-05). "Lauren Michele Jackson on the Inherent Blackness of Meme Culture". Intelligencer. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
  10. ^ Okun, Alanna (2019-12-05). "The driving force behind cultural appropriation? Capitalism". Vox. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
  11. ^ Twitter https://twitter.com/michaelluo/status/1305653416648216576. Retrieved 2020-09-16. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)

External links edit