{"product_id":"unlikely-angel-9780252085420","title":"Unlikely Angel","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Lydia Hamessley's book \u003ci\u003eUnlikely Angel: The Songs of Dolly Parton\u003c\/i\u003e offers a welcome addition to the scholarly discussion of Parton's \u003ci\u003eoeuvre\u003c\/i\u003e.\" --\u003ci\u003eJournal of American Folklore\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Dolly Parton herself has said numerous times that she wants to be taken seriously for her music, and this book, well written by a musical expert with academic credentials provides convincing proof that she deserves to be. . . . Not one of those puff pieces.\" --\u003ci\u003eVisual Parables\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Hamessley focuses on Dolly Parton's songwriting, paying specific attention to the music. . . . \u003ci\u003eUnlikely Angel\u003c\/i\u003e is a unique look at a globally iconic figure. . . . An in-depth discussion of songwriting and thematic analysis.\" --\u003ci\u003eJournal of Appalachian Studies\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e​\u003c\/i\u003e\"Recommended.\" --\u003ci\u003eChoice\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e​\u003c\/i\u003e\"Parton's world-class skills as a songwriter have never been the subject of such a precise and unique analysis as this. . . . Hats off to Hamessley for shining a light on the less familiar but perhaps most important aspects of the timeless artistry of Dolly Parton.\" --\u003ci\u003eThe Nashville Musician\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"I’m so excited about the book \u003ci\u003eUnlikely Angel: The Songs of Dolly Parton\u003c\/i\u003e spotlighting Dolly's unmatched gift as a songwriter. Always honoring and forgiving, Dolly shines only the best light on circumstances that would've taken the rest of us out. She's the hero who continues to encourage those who wanted change or wished to go back, bringing to life a part of the country and an existence most of us didn't know or understand, all while making hard living seem like heaven on earth. Her magical combination of heart and genius is a most awe inspiring thing to witness, having a beauty and delivery like no other. Dolly's tales of family, faith, and romance have created an American treasure who has continued to enrapture the world for decades. What a gift for us to see life through hers.\" --Alison Krauss\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e​\u003c\/i\u003e​​​\"A dazzling close reading of Parton's songs and identity as a songwriter.\" --\u003ci\u003eNo Depression\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e​\u003c\/i\u003e​\"Hamessley is especially attuned to the subtle ways in which Ms. Parton interweaves old and new musical strands—for instance, by ornamenting her verses with archaic flourishes and stock phrases from centuries-old ballads.\" –\u003ci\u003eWall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"A persuasive argument for taking Dolly Parton seriously as an artist. For folk and country music scholars, musicians, and fans.\" --\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e ​\u003c\/i\u003e\"Serious Dolly Parton fans and country music aficionados will be delighted by this in-depth gander into an icon's creative process. \" --\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"By examining [Dolly] thoroughly through her musical creations, author and music professor Lydia R. Hamessley gives a dynamic view of this remarkable star.\" --\u003ci\u003eBookreporter.com\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Meticulously researched . . . The fine, affectionate attention Hamessley pays to Parton's music offers all sorts of revelations: the old-world strangeness of Parton's lyrical diction, the Appalachian roots of the stirringly beautiful chest voice she employs on her 2002 song 'These Old Bones,' or how much more eerie her critically maligned tearjerker 'Me and Little Andy' becomes when you consider it within the tradition of the ghost story.\" --Lindsay Zoladz,\u003ci\u003e Bookforum\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Detailed and savvy analysis of Parton's songwriting.\" --\u003ci\u003eKCTV5\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"What Hamessley adds to the current Dolly Parton cultural boom is a page-turning deep dive into Parton’s artistry, borne out in her choices as a composer and performer. \u003ci\u003eUnlikely Angel\u003c\/i\u003e insists on her complexity and seriousness as a songwriter, celebrating an indelible body of work.\" --\u003ci\u003eChapter 16\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Lydia Hamessley invites us on a deep dive into the world of Dolly Parton as songwriter. The book weaves together insightful analyses of the musical forms, cultural roots, and meanings found in Parton’s vast catalog, with Parton’s own accounts of her music. Hamessley unveils these songs as the heart and substance of Parton’s contributions to popular culture, and will inspire every reader to take yet another listen.”--Jocelyn R. Neal, author of \u003ci\u003eCountry Music: A Cultural and Stylistic History\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eForeword by Steve Buckingham\u003cbr\u003e Preface and Acknowledgments\u003cbr\u003e Introduction: Hello, I’m Dolly\u003cbr\u003e 1. “In the Good Old Days (When Times Were Bad)”--Dolly’s Musical Life\u003cbr\u003e 2. “Coat of Many Colors”--Dolly’s Songwriting Workshop\u003cbr\u003e 3. “My Tennessee Mountain Home”--Dolly’s Appalachian Musical Heritage\u003cbr\u003e 4. “These Old Bones”--Dolly’s Mountain Identity and Voice\u003cbr\u003e 5. “I Will Always Love You”--Songs about Love\u003cbr\u003e 6. “Just Because I’m a Woman”--Songs about Women’s Lives\u003cbr\u003e 7. “Me and Little Andy”--Songs of Tragedy\u003cbr\u003e 8. “Light of a Clear Blue Morning”--Songs of Inspiration\u003cbr\u003e 9. “There’ll Always Be Music”--Final Thoughts\u003cbr\u003e Appendix A: Song List\u003cbr\u003e Appendix B: Timeline\u003cbr\u003e Appendix C: On Modes\u003cbr\u003e Appendix D: “Wayfaring Stranger” and Dolly’s Compositional Voice: A Case Study\u003cbr\u003e Notes\u003cbr\u003e Further Reading\u003cbr\u003e Index","brand":"University of Illinois Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49400517230935,"sku":"9780252085420","price":15.19,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780252085420.jpg?v=1730470873","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/unlikely-angel-9780252085420","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}