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Thread started 07/17/16 9:01pm

AlexHahn

Upcoming New Biography: Make the House Shake: The Life and Legacy of Prince

Fellow orgers, I am excited to tell you about a major upcoming biography of our favorite musician. It will be entitled “Make the House Shake: The Life and Legacy of Prince Rogers Nelson.”

This will be a comprehensive, multi-volume biography. Volume 1 is being targetted for release as an electronic book in September 2016. A hardcover run is also being considered.

This book is being created with the active involvement of a small group of Prince fans and archivists, including longtime prince.org participants. These include senior editor and researcher Laura Tiebert, a brilliant writer of numerous non-fiction books. While this will be a work of journalism, rather than hagiography, it will be animated by the deep respect, interest, and passion we all here have for this artist.

The sources of information will include interviews and research for my previous book Possessed; the voluminous public record concerning Prince that has emerged; and additional, ongoing original research.

While the book will contain expanded elements of Possessed, it will be a book with a dramatically different perspective and approach. It will also be more comprehensive.

Updates will also appear on twitter, where I am @alexhahnlaw, and my Facebook group, https://www.facebook.com/...952765104/

I look forward to telling you more about the project in the coming weeks. And thanks to the many supportive words I have heard from people so far.

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Reply #1 posted 07/17/16 9:16pm

purplethunder3
121

avatar

I'm looking forward to the continuing development of this project. Thank you for sharing the news.

"Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything." --Plato

https://youtu.be/CVwv9LZMah0
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Reply #2 posted 07/17/16 9:40pm

Bighead

Great to hear. I admire your earlier book: Possessed. Look forward to reading this new tome.

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Reply #3 posted 07/17/16 9:46pm

sonshine

avatar

Wow. Ok. Well, that didn't take long at all. I guess I'm looking forward to it too. I think. I'm just feeling kind of weird about it, yet I'm not really sure why that is. Thanks for the info tho.
It's a hurtful place, the world, in and of itself. We don't need to add to it. We all need one another. ~ PRN
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Reply #4 posted 07/17/16 9:51pm

AnnaStesia10

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Thank u Alex for this update, I am looking forward to this one as well!!

"A strong spirit transcends rules." - Prince
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Reply #5 posted 07/17/16 9:54pm

Adorecream

AlexHahn said:

Fellow orgers, I am excited to tell you about a major upcoming biography of our favorite musician. It will be entitled “Make the House Shake: The Life and Legacy of Prince Rogers Nelson.”

This will be a comprehensive, multi-volume biography. Volume 1 is being targetted for release as an electronic book in September 2016. A hardcover run is also being considered.

This book is being created with the active involvement of a small group of Prince fans and archivists, including longtime prince.org participants. These include senior editor and researcher Laura Tiebert, a brilliant writer of numerous non-fiction books. While this will be a work of journalism, rather than hagiography, it will be animated by the deep respect, interest, and passion we all here have for this artist.

The sources of information will include interviews and research for my previous book Possessed; the voluminous public record concerning Prince that has emerged; and additional, ongoing original research.

While the book will contain expanded elements of Possessed, it will be a book with a dramatically different perspective and approach. It will also be more comprehensive.

Updates will also appear on twitter, where I am @alexhahnlaw, and my Facebook group, https://www.facebook.com/...952765104/

I look forward to telling you more about the project in the coming weeks. And thanks to the many supportive words I have heard from people so far.

Alex is that you? Wow! do you know how much we talk about Possessed here! Lets hope the new book is a bit more positive than that with his post 1987 output. Of course I know the book came out just before the whole 2000s revival. But hopefully you think Diamonds and Pearls is more than a pyrrhic victory now.

Got some kind of love for you, and I don't even know your name
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Reply #6 posted 07/17/16 10:04pm

TrivialPursuit

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Finally one worth reading. So many bios out there right now that are pretty much worthless.

"eye don’t really care so much what people say about me because it is a reflection of who they r."
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Reply #7 posted 07/17/16 10:06pm

Goddess4Real

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I hope its not another cut and paste job (I can spot those a mile away!). Also I would like to see more info about The Time and Vanity 6 and the author's reaction to the Prince's show in Australia this year, in particular the Melbourne show...where Prince spoke so candidly. Thanks in advance biggrin

Keep Calm & Listen To Prince
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Reply #8 posted 07/17/16 10:11pm

TrivialPursuit

avatar

Goddess4Real said:

I hope its not another cut and paste job (I can spot those a mile away!). Also I would like to see more info about The Time and Vanity 6 and the author's reaction to the Prince's show in Australia this year, in particular the Melbourne show...where Prince spoke so candidly. Thanks in advance biggrin


Did you read Possessed? It was far from a cut and paste job. If you want that, go get that heifer Liz Jones' book. She referenced most of the Oprah interview without one bit of credit to the show or its host or producers. God, I hated that I spent money on that. I bought it the same time I bought Crystal Ball.

"eye don’t really care so much what people say about me because it is a reflection of who they r."
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Reply #9 posted 07/17/16 10:25pm

Goddess4Real

avatar

TrivialPursuit said:

Goddess4Real said:

I hope its not another cut and paste job (I can spot those a mile away!). Also I would like to see more info about The Time and Vanity 6 and the author's reaction to the Prince's show in Australia this year, in particular the Melbourne show...where Prince spoke so candidly. Thanks in advance biggrin


Did you read Possessed? It was far from a cut and paste job. If you want that, go get that heifer Liz Jones' book. She referenced most of the Oprah interview without one bit of credit to the show or its host or producers. God, I hated that I spent money on that. I bought it the same time I bought Crystal Ball.

I haven't had the opportunity to read that one because its out of print here in oz.....that is what Dymocks told me mad , I'm just speaking in general after reading some of the woeful Prince tributes, I mean I love the pics but some of the info was incorrect and sloppy, and I know like with other high profile passings there is gonna be a flutter of books that are gonna come out with same cut and paste jobs mentality. Look at all the shit what been written about MJ, even that parasite Conrad Murray got a friggin book coming out....now he is killing him in print mad . I don't want to see that happen to Prince u know what I mean. I was so relieved that no one has sold pic where he passed away etc like they did to Whitney, if that had happen alot of us would have been really upset.

[Edited 7/17/16 22:33pm]

Keep Calm & Listen To Prince
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Reply #10 posted 07/17/16 11:31pm

luv4u

Moderator

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moderator

Putting this on the front page thumbs up!

canada

Ohh purple joy oh purple bliss oh purple rapture!
REAL MUSIC by REAL MUSICIANS - Prince
"I kind of wish there was a reason for Prince to make the site crash more" ~~ Ben
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Reply #11 posted 07/18/16 1:30am

jn2

I hope that there will be a French edition.

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Reply #12 posted 07/18/16 2:54am

WhisperingDand
elions

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A couple weeks ago you were saying you were going to "slightly update" Possessed, "not to make a profit." Is this now that? Will the critical aspects of the first book be omitted?

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Reply #13 posted 07/18/16 3:53am

iZsaZsa

avatar

Okay. Thanks.
What?
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Reply #14 posted 07/18/16 4:10am

RachB65

Great, keep us informed of the progress and eventual release. A hardcopy would b great, even in limited quantities or print to order...I like feeling a book in my hands when i read as well as seeing them on my bookshelves...
"Almost all art is trying to become an anaesthetic and at the same time a healing session drawing up the magical electrics.”
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Reply #15 posted 07/18/16 4:26am

EloiseEloise

AlexHahn said:

Fellow orgers, I am excited to tell you about a major upcoming biography of our favorite musician. It will be entitled “Make the House Shake: The Life and Legacy of Prince Rogers Nelson.”


This will be a comprehensive, multi-volume biography. Volume 1 is being targetted for release as an electronic book in September 2016. A hardcover run is also being considered.


This book is being created with the active involvement of a small group of Prince fans and archivists, including longtime prince.org participants. These include senior editor and researcher Laura Tiebert, a brilliant writer of numerous non-fiction books. While this will be a work of journalism, rather than hagiography, it will be animated by the deep respect, interest, and passion we all here have for this artist.


The sources of information will include interviews and research for my previous book Possessed; the voluminous public record concerning Prince that has emerged; and additional, ongoing original research.


While the book will contain expanded elements of Possessed, it will be a book with a dramatically different perspective and approach. It will also be more comprehensive.


Updates will also appear on twitter, where I am @alexhahnlaw, and my Facebook group, https://www.facebook.com/...952765104/


I look forward to telling you more about the project in the coming weeks. And thanks to the many supportive words I have heard from people so far.









Sounds great.

The poster named UfoClub mentioned planning to do a documentary on Prince. He also wrote an awesome three sentence description on what made Prince magical.
Is he collaborating with you?

Also wanted to add my two cents... I feel it would be truly awesome to include Prince's online interactions with fans, including possible activity on the org, and all those posters who described how he seemed to be playing some game where he would respond to orgers who would either make song requests or mention songs they hoped he's play at upcoming concerts - obscure songs - and then somehow he would play exactly these on the night.

...maybe you already have thought of ncluding this, but if not: I think it'd be cool to. He was such a one of a kind...
sigh
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Reply #16 posted 07/18/16 4:57am

keslie70

avatar

I'm hoping you do a hardcover run of the books, maybe I'm just too "old school" but I prefer having the physical book in my hands when I read it biggrin
Thank you for work and sharing it with us!
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Reply #17 posted 07/18/16 5:27am

OperatingTheta
n

I'll withold my final judgement until the book is released and I read the final results, but 'Possessed' was very critical with some aspects that read like a tabloid.

And now after Prince's death, Alex appears again having been absent from the community for many years, to publicise another book? Hmmm...
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Reply #18 posted 07/18/16 6:19am

djThunderfunk

avatar

keslie70 said:

I'm hoping you do a hardcover run of the books, maybe I'm just too "old school" but I prefer having the physical book in my hands when I read it biggrin Thank you for work and sharing it with us!


This. Physical copy or nothing. Just sayin'.

Liberty > Authority
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Reply #19 posted 07/18/16 6:19am

selah

boxed hmmm would rather have read his autobiography neutral

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Reply #20 posted 07/18/16 6:26am

2olskool4u

Cha-chiiing!
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Reply #21 posted 07/18/16 6:34am

bluegangsta

avatar

Have Prince's ashes even cooled down yet?

Always cry 4 love, never cry 4 pain.
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Reply #22 posted 07/18/16 6:39am

NorthC

OperatingThetan said:

I'll withold my final judgement until the book is released and I read the final results, but 'Possessed' was very critical with some aspects that read like a tabloid.

And now after Prince's death, Alex appears again having been absent from the community for many years, to publicise another book? Hmmm...

... And does his best to assure us that no, no, it's not going to be so negative this time! wink
Of course we cannot judge a book that isn't out yet, but I'd only want to read a book that really tells us something new. So let's wait and see...
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Reply #23 posted 07/18/16 8:26am

2freaky4church
1

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Let's be nice. Alex knows his shit.

All you others say Hell Yea!! woot!
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Reply #24 posted 07/18/16 9:06am

muleFunk

avatar

I wouldn't read this book if I got it for free.

Hahn is an ambulance chasing lawyer that wants to cash in on Prince's death.

If Per Nielsen writes one then fine but this joker......

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Reply #25 posted 07/18/16 9:10am

Iamtheorg

avatar

OperatingThetan said:

I'll withold my final judgement until the book is released and I read the final results, but 'Possessed' was very critical with some aspects that read like a tabloid. And now after Prince's death, Alex appears again having been absent from the community for many years, to publicise another book? Hmmm...

^^^^^^

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Reply #26 posted 07/18/16 9:24am

Empress

Excellent news! Please release a hardcover book version as e-books are a pain to read. Also, with a hardcover version, it is something tangible the true fans can have as keepsake.

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Reply #27 posted 07/18/16 9:33am

Iamtheorg

avatar

Empress said:

Excellent news! Please release a hardcover book version as e-books are a pain to read. Also, with a hardcover version, it is something tangible the true fans can have as keepsake.

true fans..yeah right

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Reply #28 posted 07/18/16 10:26am

AlexHahn

Thanks to everybody for the supportive comments. We are more than open to suggestions and ideas, such as the great ones made so far.

I am hearing the message loud and clear concerning a physical edition. I am probably not interested in working with a traditional publisher, but we are exploring ways to make a physical edition happen.

I think many people understand that something like this is a labor of love rather than a money-making venture. I won't belabor that point other to say that the amount of money I received in total for Possessed amounted to a salary of about $2 per hour. The amount of time I have spent on this project since my 50th birthday (April 21) is placing profound demands on my professional life and my family life. Needless to say, my law practice, which is to some extent on hold to work on this book, would be a far better way to "cash in."

In the last several months, I have lost my mother and my grandmother, and I can tell you that one of the reasons I am doing this is in honor of my mother's work ethic and commitment as a writer. I am happy I will be able to dedicate the book to her, which is far more important than ever receiving a dollar.

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Reply #29 posted 07/18/16 10:32am

AlexHahn

In looking back at the original book, I feel that the tone in parts, particularly when I am reviewing records, had a slightly snarky aspect. The value of spending a lot of time on commentary I think is somewhat questionable, especially since reasonable minds so often disagree. I am more interested this time in telling the story. Not all aspects of that story are pretty or tidy, but my intent will be to offer a full portrait of an incomparable life.

WhisperingDandelions said:

Will the critical aspects of the first book be omitted?

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