‘Blackstar Rising and the Purple Reign,’ edited by Daphne A. Brooks, arrives April 14, 2026 as the first critical anthology dedicated to the legacies of David Bowie and Prince. Spanning 520 pages, the collection brings together essays, interviews, and experimental criticism from writers, scholars, and artists including Greg Tate, Ann Powers, Greil Marcus, Kara Keeling, and Jack Halberstam. The book explores how Bowie and Prince reshaped popular music and culture through their approaches to race, gender, sexuality, performance, and authorship, while interviews with collaborators such as Sheila E. and D.A. Pennebaker provide firsthand perspective. The volume is part of the Refiguring American Music series and will be released in hardcover.