I got her autobiography through the post yesterday and just can't put it down, it's a compelling read.

The prologue says it all- page upon page of her singing her 60s hit Society's Child to hostile audiences. (It was a song about an interracial relationship). She had crowds chanting "nigger lover" at her, and razor blades posted to her. I felt the hairs stand up on the back of my neck when she wrote "but I was just 15 years old and all I'd done was write a 3-minute song, and all this hatred was thrown at me."

She has stayed true to her guns over the years, through "At Seventeen" to her current folk status, still singing about uncomfortable issues.

I was fortunate enough to spend an afternoon with her in 2006 and what a wonderful woman.

No wonder women such as Joan Baez, Nina Simone and Bette Midler have sung her praises over the years.

inspiring interview give recently:

This really ought to be on the Tip Sheet board David but being technologically inept I don't know how to switch it!

Anyway, a great reason for those who never heard her songs to find them out.

She's a great singer/songwriter ... and a very wise woman:

"The Internet, and downloading, are here to stay... Anyone who thinks otherwise should prepare themselves to end up on the slagheap of history." (Janis Ian during a live European radio interview, 9-1-98)

See her views on downloading & major industry statistics (from 2002):
http://www.janisian.com/article-internet_debacle.html

oops thanks for your indulgence JK

she is a real inspiration. and her indignation at injustice is what led me to post here.

JK please don

Cool - I'd heard the Spooky Tooth cover of Society's Child but had no idea about the original... the original is much better, a very cool song when Janis does it.

Cheers.

still reading the autobiography, at 16 years old she hang out with Hendrix and went shopping with Joplin... superb stuff.

it's not available in the shops here bit is on amazon.