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Electronic Press Kit 2013
Biography
Laina Dawes is a freelance music and cultural critic and concert photographer from Toronto, Canada. A former writer for Metal Edge magazine, her writings and photography can be found in the journal Coon Bidness, the anthology, Marooned: The Next Generation of Desert Island Discs and print and online publications and radio programs, such as Invisible Oranges, The Wire UK, Noisecreep.com, Bitch magazine, NPR, Toronto Star, Exclaim! Metal Underground.com, Hellbound.ca, CBC Radio, her blog Writing is Fighting and Blogher.com, where she is a contributing editor for the Race & Ethnicity section.
What Are You Doing Here? A Black Woman’s Life and Liberation in
Heavy Metal
What Are You Doing Here? is Laina’s first non-fiction book and the first non-fiction, general interest book to specifically focus on race and gender in metal, hardcore and punk music. Laina investigates how metal, hardcore and punk music and culture can serve as a liberating and empowering vehicle for Black women to express their individuality. Part memoir, the book includes interviews with Black women metal, punk and hardcore fans, musicians and industry workers about their experiences in the extreme music scene.
In an age where individuals have access to a wide and diverse range of popular culture trends and genres, What Are You Doing Here ? also looks at the experiences of Black women extreme music fans in contemporary society who are fighting against the stereotypical assumption that in order to authenticate their presence in society, they should only be interested in “Black-centric” musical styles.
What Are You Doing Here? is Laina’s first non-fiction book and the first non-fiction, general interest book to specifically focus on race and gender in metal, hardcore and punk music. Laina investigates how metal, hardcore and punk music and culture can serve as a liberating and empowering vehicle for Black women to express their individuality. Part memoir, the book includes interviews with Black women metal, punk and hardcore fans, musicians and industry workers about their experiences in the extreme music scene.
In an age where individuals have access to a wide and diverse range of popular culture trends and genres, What Are You Doing Here ? also looks at the experiences of Black women extreme music fans in contemporary society who are fighting against the stereotypical assumption that in order to authenticate their presence in society, they should only be interested in “Black-centric” musical styles.
The book also discusses how metal, hardcore and punk music and culture serves as a soundtrack that allows them to vent both their pain and frustration, but also to express their individuality and as a way to liberate themselves from stereotypical assumptions that can deter or defer them from living their lives free of societal oppression. As Black female contributions to the development of rock n roll have generally been overlooked, this book also discusses the trailblazers and figureheads in both the blues era and contemporary music scene.
Table of Contents for What Are You Doing Here?
Foreward: “Who Put That Shaven-Headed Black Woman on the Stage?” by Skin
Introduction, by Laina Dawes
I. Canadian Steel
II. Metal Can Save Your Life (or at Least Your Sanity)
III. I’m Here Because We Started It!
IV. So You Think You’re White?
V. “The Only One” Syndrome
VI. Too Black, Too Metal, and All Woman
VII. The Lingering Stench of Racism in Metal
VIII. Remove the Barricades and Stagedive!
Epilogue
Appendix: “What Are You Doing Here?”—The Survey
What the Reviewers Say
“In her debut book, music journalist and hardcore metal devotee Laina Dawes uncovers black women’s voices and stories of participation in punk and metal.”Vice
“How exciting is this? The book tackles the good, the bad and the ugly sides of being a black woman in the metal and punk scenes.”Afropunk.com
“A fantastic book”AOL Noisecreep
“The women presented in What Are You Doing Here? are courageous, honest and without pretense—just like the best metal that ultimately unites them.”Albert Mudrian, Editor-in-Chief, Decibel
“You’ve got a book that peels back the layers and offers a previously unexplored look at what it’s like to be black and female in the metal and hardcore scene.” Rob Fields, Boldaslove.us
What the Reviewers Say (Cont’d)
“Her keen observations are buttressed by stories shared by dozens of other black women headbangers and punks. You will never look at heavy metal fans in the same light again.” Insound.com
"Laina Dawes' What Are You Doing Here? is a strikingly more powerful, penetrating, and passionate look at metal than the one written by the guy [Tony Iommi] who arguably invented the genre...brave, engaging, and unique"-The Onion A/V Club
"As the title suggests, Dawes has a compellingly idiosyncratic tale to tell about cultural identity and personal passion...[her] understandable difficulty is precisely what makes her struggle interesting."-The Atlantic
"Dawes has done the metal scene a great service...an important addition to every metal fan's bookshelf"- MSN
Selected Interviews
Wears the Trousers – January 2013
The Learned Fangirl – November 2012
MSN. Com – November 2012
Vice.com – September 2012
Invisible Oranges – August 2012
Girls Don’t like Metal – February 2012
Selected Reviews and Radio Interviews
National Public Radio (NPR) – January 2013
WNYC Soundcheck– January 2013
The Atlantic – January 2013
Souciant.com – December 2012
The Onion / AV Club – November 2012
Published Writings – Books, Journals and Awards
What Are You Doing Here? A Black Woman Life ad Liberation in Heavy Metal (Bazillion Points Books, December 2012).
“The Trials and Tribulations of a Black Female Metalhead” Coon Bidness Volume 1: 1, Spring 2011. Anthology /Journal - USA.
“Skunk Anansie’s Stoosh” in Marooned: The Next Generation of Desert Island Discs . Edited by Phil Freeman (Da Capo Press). Anthology of music criticism (2007).
Writing Awards
Ontario Arts Council, Writer’s Reserve Grant, 2012
Ontario Arts Council, Writing Grant, Fall 2011
Innoversity Creative Summit’s CHUM Documentary Award, Finalist, Fall 2005
Toronto Arts Council, Emerging Writers Award, Fall 2004 Ontario Arts Council, Writer’s Reserve Award
Published Writings – Journalism
Contributing writer: Bitch Magazine 2012 – Present
Judge, Hard Rock / Heavy Metal Category, Juno Awards, 2012
Contributing Writer /Concert Photographer: Hellbound.ca 2009 – Present
Contributing Writer/Concert Photographer: Exclaim! Canada 2009 – Present
Concert/Event Photographer, Exclaim.ca, Hellbound.ca, Heenan Blaikie LLP 2009 – Present
Contributing Editor, Race & Ethnicity: Blogher.com 2006 – Present
Contributing Writer: Metal Edge Magazine, Zenbu Media 2008 – 2009
Contributing Writer: Consequenceofsound.net 2009
Contributing Writer: Afrotoronto.com, 2002 – 2004
Published Writings – Journalism
Contributing Writer: Urbanattidude.com 2001 – 2003 Film, Photography & Radio Broadcast
Co-Producer/Camera Crew, Maryland DeathFest II, Handshake Inc. 2010 – 2012
Radio Producer/Narrator, “Black Women in Rock,” Definitely Not the Opera, CBC Radio 3 2005
Director/Co-Producer, Some Girls (video short) EMP Pop Music Conference panel 2004
Additional writings and concert photography can be found in Decibel, Invisible Oranges.com, Bitch magazine, The Wire, the Village Voice, NPR Music, The Offering magazine, Bitch, Exclaim! Liberator magazine, Sway magazine, the Toronto Star, NOW Magazine, Kraft’s Food and Family magazine, Numb magazine, Metal Edge magazine, Popmatters.com, Consequence of Sound.net, Hellbound.ca and other Canadian and American publications.
Presentations – Conferences, Workshops and Seminars
(Upcoming) Heavy Metal & Popular Culture Conference, Bowling Green State University, Ohio
Keynote Speaker and Panelist, April 4-7, 2013
57th Annual Meeting of the Society for Ethnomusicology, New Orleans, LA
Presenter and Panelist, November 1-4, 2012
EMP / IASPM Conference, New York University, New York, NY
Presenter and Panelist, March 22--26, 2012
Women in Rock Conference, Washington University, Seattle, WA
• Workshop leader, March 2‐3, 2012
WNYC Radio – Soundcheck “Smackdown” – Odd Future (commentary) – May 2011
“Musical Fantropology, Distance, and the Critical Gaze with Daphne Carr,” New York, NY
Presenter and Panelist
Presentations – Conferences, Workshops and Seminars (Cont’d)
South By Southwest Festival (Interactive, Music and Media), Austin, TX
Panel Moderator (Music), 2011
Panelist (Music), 2010
Panel Moderator (Interactive), 2007
Presenter and Panelist (Interactive), 2006
Blogher Annual Conference, Santa Clara, CA and Chicago IL
Panel Moderator, 2005
EMP Pop Music Conference, Seattle, WA
Presenter and Panelist, 2005
Bad Brains: Afro--‐ Alternative Music Conference, Toronto Harbourfront Centre, Toronto, ON
• Co--Producer and Moderator, 2004
Education and Professional Development
Newspaper Writing Seminar National Conference of Editorial Writers, Foundation Nashville Tennessee, April / May 2009
Editorial Internship, Flare Magazine, Toronto, Fall/Winter 2004
Bachelor of Arts (Honours), Political Science and Sociology(Double-Major) York University, North York, 2000
Certificate, Race and Ethno-Cultural Communications Ryerson University, Toronto, 1996
Presentation Topics
Race, Gender and Aggressive Music: An examination of the dynamics of race and gender within the metal scene from both a historical and contemporary perspective. Borrowing heavily from What Are You Doing Here? the suggested presentation could cover all or selected points below:
The importance of metal culture: Is the art responsible for the culture or the culture responsible for the art? How does metal culture translate across ethno--‐cultures?
How various religious and ethno--‐cultural groups are drawn to metal as a tool for self--‐ expression in marginalized communities both in North America and in other countries;
What is it about metal that provides a tool for self--‐expression? And why does the music hold more importance within cultures that are more socially and political volatile than North America?
Presentation Topics (Cont’d)The social implications of the fact that the fusion of extreme musical genres such as blues and jazz music are regarded as “Black--‐ centric,” while heavy metal, despite its Rock n’ Roll foundational roots, is considered the musical bastion of white, blue--‐collar males.
Can listeners gain a cultural appreciation of music and its accompanying culture though listening to more contemporary music that is infused with music conceived in past generations? (ex: Can metal fans discover an appreciation for Blues music listening to contemporary metal bands that infuse the genre within their music)?
Gender and sexuality in metal: Investigating the representations of women in extreme musical genres in both historical and present--‐ day situations. Why is the representation of women in metal still problematic? Or is it?
Black women / women of color in metal: issues surrounding race and gender within the extreme musical scene. What happens when race and gender are applied within the extreme musical culture?
An honorarium for speaking engagements would be highly appreciated and is negotiable.
Contact Information
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (416) 523-1843
Websites:
http://www.whatareyoudoingherebook.com
www.writingisfighting.com
www.blogher.com/lainad
Mailing Address: 1550 Bathurst Street #102, Toronto, Canada M5P 3H3
Publisher: Bazillion Points Books
www.bazillionpoints.com
Book Press Inquiries: [email protected]
