Topic: The Robert Johnson "Biography of a phantom" by Mack Mccormick

[Stuart]

Hopefully once it's released readers will focus on what it contains rather than what it doesn't contain--But I'm not holding my breath.

[btasoundsradio]

 I got my copy of Biography of a Phantom today and have read most of it. So far, no real new information, but a long drawn out search by McCormick. I find some of it to be an interesting insight into his manic research, and a few tantalizing memories from random people who have snippets of encounters with Johnson. Also photos and interviews of Mager and Ledell Johnson are unique. One great moment was Mack playing the original LP for a group of Mississippians who knew him and their reactions to hearing his music after a long while. They hadn't heard "Hellhound on my Trail" and were silenced by it's power. I'm starting the Chapter "Greenwood" which I'm guessing will be about his death. Annye Anderson mentioned in an interview that she is working on a second book. Maybe then we'll see the photo. She has been in contact with Mack's daughter about excluding the family interviews for ethical reasons, to which she complied.

[Stuart]

In today's Fretboard Journal e-blurb:

https://www.texasmonthly.com/arts-entertainment/mack-mccormick-quest-to-find-real-robert-johnson/

[Blues Vintage]

Thanks Stuart. A lot of new information in the article.

[Stuart]

My copy is on the way and I look forward to reading what John Troutman has written.

It's a difficult position to be in, but obviously Troutman and the Smithsonian are deferring to RJ's heirs with respect to who has first claim to the information and photos. Sure we'd like to have all the info Mack collected, but respecting the family's wishes and showing consideration for them isn't out of line, IMHO. Hopefully, it will appear in still another RJ book sooner rather than later. One could argue that the interviews given and the photos became Mack's and therefore should be included. However, owing to the improprieties on Mack's part mentioned in the article, what probably started out as a "gentleman's agreement," ended up as anything but. I wasn't there and don't know what really transpired between the various parties, but I'm guessing it left something to be desired.

[waxwing]

This is what happens when we glorify the "cowboys" over the scholars, who have ethical training and standards of research. When the information becomes more important than the people, when following the lead becomes more important than doing the background corroboration and when the monetary value becomes more important than anything, the research suffers. If Mack had been a scholar, attached to a university, all of his work, if gathered ethically, would have been catalogued and available, and untainted by these considerations. I applaud Mr. Troutman for giving the family ethical consideration. We can hope that they eventually receive proper consideration and release the information. But we do not automatically deserve to have it delivered to us just because it was gathered.

Wax

[Stuart]

But we do not automatically deserve to have it delivered to us just because it was gathered.

Wax

Exactly. To paraphrase an old saying, "There may not be any laws against it, but there are rules."

[Johnm]

I don't believe academic researchers are by definition more scrupulous and fair in their dealings with their interview subjects than are researchers without academic credentials or affiliations. A researcher's behavior would seem to be a function of personality and character as much as training or professional safeguards. There have been plenty of instances of academics stealing the work of colleagues or students.

[Blues Vintage]

Amen.

I don't even really wanna read the book anymore, maybe I'll wait for a cheap second hand copy. Or somebody here who read the whole thing carefully have to convince me.
I'd rather order Mance Lipsomb's "I Say Me For A Parable".

[Stuart]

I generally concur, John, but in academia if one gets caught there can be serious professional consequences, so that can act as a deterrent. I agree with your assumption that like every walk of life the individual personalities range from decent, honest and upright people to psychologically maladjusted a******s--and it's the latter who cause the most problems.

[banjochris]

I'd rather order Mance Lipsomb's "I Say Me For A Parable".

That's a great book. If you haven't read it you should!
Chris

[waxwing]

No sense tainting the whole bushel because of a few bad apples, Johnm. I don't think freelancers are necessarily unethical by choice, but more likely due to ignorance. Ethics is complicated and not always mere common sense. In the modern age, academics actually take classes in ethics, as well as interviewing techniques. (Such as not asking leading questions. i.e "Does this sound like Robert Johnson to you?" the like of which I have seen many times in interview transcriptions.) And then there's the benefit of having all work systematically archived instead of being sent to a warehouse in Mexico as a security measure.

Wax

[Johnm]

I argued against tainting on the basis of identification in a group, not for it.

[Stuart]

...I don't even really wanna read the book anymore, maybe I'll wait for a cheap second hand copy. Or somebody here who read the whole thing carefully have to convince me.

I'd rather order Mance Lipsomb's "I Say Me For A Parable".

Hi Blues Vintage: I'll second Chris' recommendation re: Mance's book.

Yeah, reading the Texas Monthly article certainly gives one pause, but I think it is useful to try to put aside Mack's shortcomings and flaws (which were perhaps the manifestations of underlying mental illness) and focus on the information he gathered when reading the book as well as anything else he's written or collected during his researches. Obviously, Mack is always going to be "in there," but he was doing field work and collecting information about music and the people who made it--and as far as I know, not about himself. Simply dismissing it out of hand owing to Mack's involvement does a disservice to the people who were the focus of his researches. My advice is to call time out and wait to see what others have to say about the book after we have had time to read it and have given it some thought. There's no hurry. --Just my 2 cents.

One thing that was mentioned in the article are Mack's notes to the Henry Thomas Herwin LP. Greil Mascus is quoted as saying, [they are] “the best notes of their kind I have ever read.” I have to agree--they're right up there. I have a scan and if anyone wants a copy, send me a PM.

[lindy]

New York Times review:

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/17/books/mack-mccormick-robert-johnson-biography.html?action=click&module=Well&pgtype=Homepage&section=Books