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Cover of The First Collection Of Criticism By A Living Female Rock Critic

The First Collection Of Criticism By A Living Female Rock Critic

by Jessica Hopper

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Jessica Hopper's music criticism has earned her a reputation as a firebrand, a keen observer and fearless critic not just of music but the culture around it. With this volume spanning from her punk fanzine roots to her landmark piece on R. Kelly's past, The First Collection leaves no doubt why The New York Times has called Hopper's work influential. Not merely a selection of two decades of Hopper's most engaging, thoughtful, and humorous writing, this book documents the last 20 years of American music making and the shifting landscape of music consumption. The book journeys through the truths of Riot Grrrl's empowering insurgence, decamps to Gary, IN, on the eve of Michael Jackson's death, explodes the grunge-era mythologies of Nirvana and Courtney Love, and examines emo's rise.…

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"This brilliant collection of music writing by former Pitchfork Senior Editor Jessica Hopper strikes fast with its direct, biting title. And it doesn’t stop there — the book challenges commonplace criticism throughout. In mere pages, Hopper covers both the problematic treatment of female characters in mid-2000s emo lyrics and the abandonment of Christianity by one of Christian rock’s foremost heroes. Music fans would struggle to find a more compelling series of essays."
NPR Books We Love — 2015 · apps.npr.org