Society's Child - by Janis Ian (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

The book that inspired the award-winning documentary, Janis Ian: Breaking Silence. Grammy Award-winning songwriter, singer and author, Janis Ian took the stage at age fifteen with a revolutionary song about interracial relationships, "Society's Child." It was 1966 and the country responded with both hostility and accolades. The song went to #1, and Janis was caught in the maelstrom of a divided country. Terrified by the hatred directed at her, she left the music industry, only to return a few years later with the worldwide hit "At Seventeen." The story never ends-her songs are currently used by artists as diverse as Bette Midler, John Mellencamp, and Celine Dion; and she is considered one of the pre-eminent acoustic guitarists of our era by such notables as Chet Atkins. In "Society's Child," you'll journey with Janis as she spends time with luminaries of the century-Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Aretha Franklin-singers and songwriters who both influenced and befriended her. Her book takes an unblinking look at the music business, her own remarkable path through it, and what was really happening backstage-with honesty and integrity. Connect with Janis on her website, janisian.com, and read this inspiring autobiography of one woman's unbreakable spirit.

Review Quotes

"Ian is a natural prose stylist with a real knack for pacing and the telling detail.

. . . [Society's Child] a juicily entertaining look at an unusual life in show

business." -Kirkus Reviews

"Fans will love the book, of course, but many nonfans, too, should find this

painfully candid memoir hard to put down." -Booklist, starred review

"Fans will appreciate the candor with which Ian discusses her hardships and

her gradual path to happiness." - Publishers Weekly

"As Ian writes in this candid autobiography, she has endured . . . betrayals

both personal and professional and a lot of unwanted attention from a

vindictive tax man. Somehow she survived with good humor mostly intact."

- Mojo magazine

"Janis Ian's songs cut close to the bone. So does her autobiography. Harrowing

and inspiring by turns, Society's Child is as relentlessly honest as her lyrics, and

engrossing from first page to last. A fascinating look at the music business as

it was then and as it is now, and at the life of a singer and songwriter whose

music helped shape our dreams and define our times, even while she herself

was battling racists, rejection, abuse, and the Internal Revenue Service, this

book is sure to touch anyone who ever yearned for more."

- GEORGE R. R. MARTIN, author of the bestselling Song of Ice and Fire series

"Janis Ian's remarkable life, told with unfiltered honesty in Society's Child,

inspired my documentary, Janis Ian: Breaking Silence. The book not only

reveals who Janis Ian truly is but also illuminates hidden aspects of ourselves.

It goes far beyond what a single film can capture."

- VARDA BAR-KAR, filmmaker

"Society's Child is a truly remarkable story, told by a truly remarkable talent.

Janis Ian is a wordsmith who could make anything interesting; with a subject

as fascinating as her life, the result is a classic of its kind."

- MIKE RESNICK, award-winning science fiction author

"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, singer, actor, and playwright