Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Date
2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Liberal Studies
Department
Liberal Studies
Committee Chair
Kathy Schultz
Committee Member
Colin Chapell
Committee Member
David Horan
Abstract
This dissertation explores the intersection of sexuality and religion within blues culture through an interdisciplinary approach combining photography, creative writing, historical and sociological review and cultural critique. The work examines how the "tension of opposites" between erotic expression and spiritual yearning creates a transcendent aesthetic experience that defines American blues music and culture. Through self-critique of original photography exhibited in "Blues Plays the White Boy," the author documents the visual manifestations of blues feeling across the Mississippi Delta, Memphis, and Texas, revealing how physical landscapes and cultural artifacts embody blues sensibilities. The theoretical framework draws from Jungian psychology, signifying theory, and cultural studies to analyze how blues artists navigate the paradoxical relationship between sexual expression and religious restraint. A critical analysis of Thomas Dorsey's hokum blues "Tight Like That" demonstrates how double entendre and trickster elements in blues lyrics reflect this tension. The author's personal memoir positions his own experiences within blues aesthetics, while creative writing pieces explore how blues narratives transform suffering into celebration. By positioning the achievement of African-American blues as a universal human experience rather than solely a racial inheritance, the dissertation argues that the fundamental conflict between sexuality and spirituality creates a transcendent "blues feeling" that resonates across cultural boundaries. This work contributes to blues scholarship by proposing that the music's enduring power can be seen in examination of the culture of the blues and creation by blues aesthetics through the dynamic interplay of the sensual and the sacred.
Library Comment
Notes
Open access.
Recommended Citation
Daniel IV, Coldwell, "Blues On the Record Player: A Photographic and Written Exploration of the Permutations and Manifestations of Sexuality And Religion in America’s Musical Roots" (2025). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 3734.
https://digitalcommons.memphis.edu/etd/3734
Comments
Data is provided by the student.