Janis Ian was catapulted into the spotlight in 1966 at the age of fifteen, when her soul-wrenching song “Society’s Child” became a hit. An intimate portrait of an interracial relationship, “Society’s Child” climbed the charts despite the fact that many radio stations across the country refused to play it because of its controversial subject matter. But this was only the beginning of a long and illustrious career. In this fascinating memoir of her more than forty years in the music business, Ian chronicles how she did drugs with Jimi Hendrix, went shopping for Grammy clothes with Janis Joplin, and sang with Mel Tormé—all the while never ceasing to create unforgettable music.
In 1975, Ian’s legendary “At Seventeen” earned two Grammy awards and five nominations. Her next two albums brought her worldwide platinum hits and fame that stretched from Japan to Holland. But after seven albums in as many years, she made a conscious decision to walk away from the often grueling music business. During this period, she struggled through a difficult marriage that ended with her then husband’s attempt to destroy her, and a sudden illness that very nearly cost her her life. The hiatus from music lasted for close to a decade until, in 1993, Ian returned with the release of the Grammy-nominated Breaking Silence. Now, as she moves gracefully into her fifth decade as a recording artist and writer, Ian continues to draw large audiences around the globe.
In Society’s Child, Janis Ian provides a relentlessly honest account of the successes and failures, and the hopes and dreams of an extraordinary life.
“Deftly written, the life experiences described by Janis Ian in this engaging memoir give us a peek into the anatomy of a brilliant songwriter.”—Joan Baez
“Janis Ian was brilliant from the start. Through her songs and poems, I have always noticed the grace in the use of her language; now I can see her artistic flow in book form. Congratulations Janis!”—Odetta
“One of life's greatest pleasures is a book that you simply can't put down—one that transports you from start to finish as it elevates, enlightens, enlarges, and entertains. Janis Ian gives you all of this in Society's Child. It's a book that flies on "glistening wings" straight into your heart, where it will nestle forever.”—Kitty Kelley
"I laughed, I ached, I wept, I cheered . . . and ultimately was totally taken in by Janis Ian's honest and deeply moving autobiography. Society’s Child is an insightful and courageously personal account of her musical, spiritual and emotional journey!"—Noel Stookey of Peter Paul & Mary
“Janis Ian is at once larger-than-life and excruciatingly human. In Society’s Child she describes great triumphs, devastating losses, betrayals of every kind, and her extraordinary strength of spirit shines through every page.”—Kathy Mattea
“One of the finest self-written books about the songwriting life in recent years . . . It’s nice that Janis Ian conducts the tour in person and allows us to see the undressed side of the stone.”—Jimmy Webb
“Musical genius, lover of life's bounties, survivor of its spectacular bummers, big, big artist in a beautiful tiny package — my friend Janis Ian.”—Ronnie Gilbert of The Weavers
“At 15 she was already breaking all the rules. In an era-the mid-1960s-when people of her parents' generation didn't speak about "ugly things" like interracial romance, prostitution, and war, Janis Ian was opening her big mouth and getting hounded offstage for singing her taboo-busting lyrics. Society's Child (Tarcher/Penguin) is the hugely readable autobiography of an artist who has lived through success and crushing hardship but knows that ‘you can't sing and cry at the same time.’ Sing on!”— O Magazine
“Fans will love the book, of course, but many nonfans, too, should find this painfully candid memoir hard to put down.”—Booklist, starred review
“Ian is a natural prose stylist with a real knack for pacing and the telling detail. What might have been a dreary catalog of woe is instead a juicily entertaining look at an unusual life in show business.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Fans will appreciate the candor with which Ian discusses these hardships and her gradual path to happiness…”—Publishers Weekly
