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Society's Child: My Autobiography
Grammy Award winning singer and songwriter Janis Ian's memoir of her more than forty years in the music business.
Janis Ian was catapulted into the spotlight in 1966 at the age of fifteen when her soul-wrenching song "Society's Child" became a national 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 life 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 Society's Child, Ian shares with readers what it felt like to move in and out of the public eye. In 1975 her legendary song "At Seventeen" earned two Grammy awards and five nominations. But during the 1980s she made a conscious decision to walk away from the often grueling music business to study ballet and acting. She also struggled through a difficult marriage that ended with her then husband's threat to kill her. The hiatus from music lasted for nearly a decade until, in 1993, Ian returned with the release of Breaking Silence. Rather than risk losing artistic control, she took out a second mortgage on her home to fund the record. It paid off as Breaking Silence gained Ian her ninth Grammy nomination. Now in her fifth decade, Ian continues to draw large audiences around the globe.
Janis Ian has inspired generations of fans and in this moving book she shares the fascinating story of her life in music.
Janis Ian was catapulted into the spotlight in 1966 at the age of fifteen when her soul-wrenching song "Society's Child" became a national 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 life 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 Society's Child, Ian shares with readers what it felt like to move in and out of the public eye. In 1975 her legendary song "At Seventeen" earned two Grammy awards and five nominations. But during the 1980s she made a conscious decision to walk away from the often grueling music business to study ballet and acting. She also struggled through a difficult marriage that ended with her then husband's threat to kill her. The hiatus from music lasted for nearly a decade until, in 1993, Ian returned with the release of Breaking Silence. Rather than risk losing artistic control, she took out a second mortgage on her home to fund the record. It paid off as Breaking Silence gained Ian her ninth Grammy nomination. Now in her fifth decade, Ian continues to draw large audiences around the globe.
Janis Ian has inspired generations of fans and in this moving book she shares the fascinating story of her life in music.
361 pages, Hardcover
First published July 24, 2008
66 people are currently reading
837 people want to read
About the author
Janis Ian
66 books127 followersI was was born April 7, 1951, a month and day shared with Billie Holiday. Wrote my first song at 12, was published at 13, made a record at 14, had a hit at 15, and was a has-been at 16. I took a break for 3 years shortly thereafter, and moved to Philadelphia to write and find out if I really could be a great songwriter. "Came back" in 1973 with an album called Stars, and was fortunate enough to have a second career.
I've been lucky enough to have ten Grammy nominations in eight different categories, and two Grammys - most recently for the spoken word edition of my autobiography, "Society's Child".
I love writing - articles, speeches, stories, songs, books. I love reading. For years, my fans brought me used books on tour in lieu of flowers or jewelry. I'm 74 now, and thinking about "retirement", trying to call it "transitioning" instead. Less time a2ay from home, more time to write.
If you want to reach me please email through the contacts page of my website (below). I don't check email on Goodreads very often!
Thanks for reading.
Janis
I've been lucky enough to have ten Grammy nominations in eight different categories, and two Grammys - most recently for the spoken word edition of my autobiography, "Society's Child".
I love writing - articles, speeches, stories, songs, books. I love reading. For years, my fans brought me used books on tour in lieu of flowers or jewelry. I'm 74 now, and thinking about "retirement", trying to call it "transitioning" instead. Less time a2ay from home, more time to write.
If you want to reach me please email through the contacts page of my website (below). I don't check email on Goodreads very often!
Thanks for reading.
Janis
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 218 reviews
August 25, 2025
Society’s Child is a scratched vinyl from a too-honest era. Abrasive, intimate, defiant, and sometimes so vulnerable it squeaks. The full ache of becoming Janis laid bare: being groomed and burned by fame at thirteen, absorbing the blow of Leonard Bernstein’s trembling piano after an interracial love song gets her blacklisted, throwing her own body under the wheels of the American dream, then climbing out, wiser, bruised, alive. “I knew,” she writes, “that if I changed myself to please people, I’d be lost forever.”
Her father was interrogated by the FBI while her teachers refused to read her lyrics. A music producer pulled her onto his lap, and she pretended it felt okay. The sexual harassment started young; the molestation, younger. During one of her first performances, someone sent her a funeral wreath. She kept singing.
At 17, she witnessed a stabbing at a record company event and went home to scribble lyrics. She dated women when that meant exile and poverty. One long-time lover choked her, then told her it was love. Her own mother used the phrase “deserved it.” The FBI, the press, the folk scene, even her so-called mentors took turns passing her around like a cautionary tale.
Janis Ian, however, refuses to act the martyr. She dishes it all out, but never with self-pity. When her accountant stole everything she had, she got a job packing shrimp. When her label erased her, she played coffeehouses in return for shelter and cold spaghetti. She marries, divorces, marries again, always with a kind of dry-eyed realism: “If the worst thing that happens is that someone doesn’t love you anymore, you’re doing okay.”
She speaks of Billie Holiday as one might of a distant relative whose scent clung to the upholstery: “Billie didn’t walk, she drifted, like smoke."
Her style is laconic in the trauma, crystalline in the joy, stinging when she recounts the betrayals, both personal and professional.
She describes the long-gone night she recorded “At Seventeen” with the urgency of a house fire. She remembers clenching the words “ugly duckling girls like me” like a lit match. Her queerness is not a banner but a weather system. Her Jewishness, less identity than inheritance, often a source of grief but never of shame. Her sharpest indignation targets hypocrisy, especially the sanitized bigotry of liberal arts culture: “They loved civil rights, but didn’t want their sons dating the help.”
Ian’s book belongs on the shelf next to Joan Didion’s The White Album. Her writing seeks oxygen, a room without mirrors.
What struck me was how funny she can be. Dry as cedar bark, biting as a hangover, she describes Bob Dylan’s sneer, Janis Joplin’s sweat-soaked charisma, and the ghost-town echo of once-famous greenrooms with the precision of someone who spent a long time being overlooked.
I first heard Janis Ian on the inaugural broadcast of Saturday Night Live. Her voice made the room feel too small. Years later, this book had the same effect. We know she's a wordsmith, and it's no surprise that this book is as gorgeous, honest, deep, sad, beautiful, and sweet as her songs are. Society’s Child divies up the American mythos into edible griefs: racism, queerness, celebrity, addiction, and the long trek toward self-respect. It never asks for your admiration. It offers its truth and waits.
Her father was interrogated by the FBI while her teachers refused to read her lyrics. A music producer pulled her onto his lap, and she pretended it felt okay. The sexual harassment started young; the molestation, younger. During one of her first performances, someone sent her a funeral wreath. She kept singing.
At 17, she witnessed a stabbing at a record company event and went home to scribble lyrics. She dated women when that meant exile and poverty. One long-time lover choked her, then told her it was love. Her own mother used the phrase “deserved it.” The FBI, the press, the folk scene, even her so-called mentors took turns passing her around like a cautionary tale.
Janis Ian, however, refuses to act the martyr. She dishes it all out, but never with self-pity. When her accountant stole everything she had, she got a job packing shrimp. When her label erased her, she played coffeehouses in return for shelter and cold spaghetti. She marries, divorces, marries again, always with a kind of dry-eyed realism: “If the worst thing that happens is that someone doesn’t love you anymore, you’re doing okay.”
She speaks of Billie Holiday as one might of a distant relative whose scent clung to the upholstery: “Billie didn’t walk, she drifted, like smoke."
Her style is laconic in the trauma, crystalline in the joy, stinging when she recounts the betrayals, both personal and professional.
She describes the long-gone night she recorded “At Seventeen” with the urgency of a house fire. She remembers clenching the words “ugly duckling girls like me” like a lit match. Her queerness is not a banner but a weather system. Her Jewishness, less identity than inheritance, often a source of grief but never of shame. Her sharpest indignation targets hypocrisy, especially the sanitized bigotry of liberal arts culture: “They loved civil rights, but didn’t want their sons dating the help.”
Ian’s book belongs on the shelf next to Joan Didion’s The White Album. Her writing seeks oxygen, a room without mirrors.
What struck me was how funny she can be. Dry as cedar bark, biting as a hangover, she describes Bob Dylan’s sneer, Janis Joplin’s sweat-soaked charisma, and the ghost-town echo of once-famous greenrooms with the precision of someone who spent a long time being overlooked.
I first heard Janis Ian on the inaugural broadcast of Saturday Night Live. Her voice made the room feel too small. Years later, this book had the same effect. We know she's a wordsmith, and it's no surprise that this book is as gorgeous, honest, deep, sad, beautiful, and sweet as her songs are. Society’s Child divies up the American mythos into edible griefs: racism, queerness, celebrity, addiction, and the long trek toward self-respect. It never asks for your admiration. It offers its truth and waits.
September 5, 2008
there is something about the overall tone of this book that i find really off-putting, but i cant articulate what it is. if someone else who has read this can give me a hand...
love her music, the book was just eh.
love her music, the book was just eh.
February 21, 2023
I discovered Janis Ian – the singer – many, many years ago – I have the albums “Stars”, “Between the Lines” and “Aftertones”. For some reason I never tried to find out anything about her and she didn’t seem to be mentioned in the media like other singers. I just knew I loved her voice and her songs – so for all these years I assumed Janis Ian to be the teenager on her album covers.
Yes. All these years later I still thought of her that way and only a few years ago I bought a CD of “Stars” to play in my car. Janis Ian was still the teenage singer whose voice and songs I loved even now well into my old age. Still I had zero idea about her life apart from the records I had.
I’d never heard of “Society’s Child” (it’s not on the albums I have), I’d never seen her on TV, never heard an interview, so you can imagine the revelation this book has been for me. I would never have even know about the book except for GR, and I thought ‘What? Wow? Janis Ian? The singer I love wrote a book? Well, shoot, I have to read that.”
I am blown away by Ms. Ian’s career and her life journey, all news to me. She was a star long before I discovered her, but I’m just glad I did when I did. I was riveted by her life story. She has lived a varied (to say the least) life with phenomenal ups and downs all of which are right here in this book.
When you pick up a celebrity autobiography your first thought is – are they going to be open and honest? I found her to be open and honest, disclosing the good the bad and the ugly without apology. Good for you Janis!
Her autobiography has introduced me to the real person, not just a picture on an album cover. But! She will always be the teenager singer who sang “At Sixteen” and broke my heart – but in a good way.
“Between the Lines” is playing on my record player as I write this. God! I love this music.
Yes. All these years later I still thought of her that way and only a few years ago I bought a CD of “Stars” to play in my car. Janis Ian was still the teenage singer whose voice and songs I loved even now well into my old age. Still I had zero idea about her life apart from the records I had.
I’d never heard of “Society’s Child” (it’s not on the albums I have), I’d never seen her on TV, never heard an interview, so you can imagine the revelation this book has been for me. I would never have even know about the book except for GR, and I thought ‘What? Wow? Janis Ian? The singer I love wrote a book? Well, shoot, I have to read that.”
I am blown away by Ms. Ian’s career and her life journey, all news to me. She was a star long before I discovered her, but I’m just glad I did when I did. I was riveted by her life story. She has lived a varied (to say the least) life with phenomenal ups and downs all of which are right here in this book.
When you pick up a celebrity autobiography your first thought is – are they going to be open and honest? I found her to be open and honest, disclosing the good the bad and the ugly without apology. Good for you Janis!
Her autobiography has introduced me to the real person, not just a picture on an album cover. But! She will always be the teenager singer who sang “At Sixteen” and broke my heart – but in a good way.
“Between the Lines” is playing on my record player as I write this. God! I love this music.
July 19, 2022
I came away from this autobiography with an elevated appreciation for the author. I was already a fan but now there’s empathy and respect where before there was only reverently slobbering awe.
If you have access to Audible, I highly recommend the self-recorded audiobook release. Janis sits at the microphone with her book in one hand and her guitar in the other, weaving snippets of her music into the narrative at the most appropriate intervals. I don’t know how many audiobooks have won Grammys for “Best Spoken Word Album” but this one did. It is an accolade that is well deserved.
If you have access to Audible, I highly recommend the self-recorded audiobook release. Janis sits at the microphone with her book in one hand and her guitar in the other, weaving snippets of her music into the narrative at the most appropriate intervals. I don’t know how many audiobooks have won Grammys for “Best Spoken Word Album” but this one did. It is an accolade that is well deserved.
February 13, 2018
Society’s Child
My Autobiography
Janis Ian
MY RATING ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️▫️
PUBLISHER Audible
PUBLISHED June 7, 2012
NARRATOR Janis Ian
A poignant book, written from the heart of a creatively brilliant woman with amazing perseverance.
SUMMARY
Janis Ian wrote her first song at twelve and was launched into the spotlight in 1966, at 15 when her song Society’s Child became a hit. This was only the beginning of a long and illustrious career for the young genius. Ian chronicles her 40 years in the music business and how she did drugs with Jimi Hendrix, and went shopping for Grammy clothes with Janice Joplin all the while never ceasing to create resonating music.
In 1975, Ian‘s song At Seventeen earned two Grammy awards and five nominations. Her next two albums brought her worldwide platinum hits. But after seven albums in seven years, she walked away from the music business. During this period, she struggled through a difficult marriage and a sudden illness that very nearly cost her life. The break from music lasted for close to a decade until in 1993, Janice returned with the release of the Grammy nominated Breaking Silence. In SOCIETY’S CHILD, JANIS IAN provides a deeply honest account of the successes and failures and hopes and dreams of her life.
REVIEW
JANIS IAN is revealed as an amazing woman with tremendous inner strength, who was not afraid to show us her weaknesses in this emotionally powerful book. All her creative and lyrical storyteller skills evident in her music, are apparent in SOCIETY’S CHILD. IAN reveals an uncanny amount of turmoil; molestation, abuse, theft, illness, and the IRS. It is inspiring that after all the bad, that she was willing and able to get back on her feet, and find joy in her life again. Not only did she persevere, but that she chose to honestly share her life story with us, is a gift. It’s an expertly delivered self-portrait of an amazing artist.
The audiobook includes IAN singing a portion of a song in the introduction to each chapter, and detailing the song’s inspiration. Music and biography lovers will delight in Society’s Child. The audiobook won three awards: Audi Award, Narration by Author, 2013; Grammy Award Winner, Best Spoken Word Album, 2013; and Booklist Top 10 Biography Audiobooks.
My Autobiography
Janis Ian
MY RATING ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️▫️
PUBLISHER Audible
PUBLISHED June 7, 2012
NARRATOR Janis Ian
A poignant book, written from the heart of a creatively brilliant woman with amazing perseverance.
SUMMARY
Janis Ian wrote her first song at twelve and was launched into the spotlight in 1966, at 15 when her song Society’s Child became a hit. This was only the beginning of a long and illustrious career for the young genius. Ian chronicles her 40 years in the music business and how she did drugs with Jimi Hendrix, and went shopping for Grammy clothes with Janice Joplin all the while never ceasing to create resonating music.
In 1975, Ian‘s song At Seventeen earned two Grammy awards and five nominations. Her next two albums brought her worldwide platinum hits. But after seven albums in seven years, she walked away from the music business. During this period, she struggled through a difficult marriage and a sudden illness that very nearly cost her life. The break from music lasted for close to a decade until in 1993, Janice returned with the release of the Grammy nominated Breaking Silence. In SOCIETY’S CHILD, JANIS IAN provides a deeply honest account of the successes and failures and hopes and dreams of her life.
REVIEW
JANIS IAN is revealed as an amazing woman with tremendous inner strength, who was not afraid to show us her weaknesses in this emotionally powerful book. All her creative and lyrical storyteller skills evident in her music, are apparent in SOCIETY’S CHILD. IAN reveals an uncanny amount of turmoil; molestation, abuse, theft, illness, and the IRS. It is inspiring that after all the bad, that she was willing and able to get back on her feet, and find joy in her life again. Not only did she persevere, but that she chose to honestly share her life story with us, is a gift. It’s an expertly delivered self-portrait of an amazing artist.
The audiobook includes IAN singing a portion of a song in the introduction to each chapter, and detailing the song’s inspiration. Music and biography lovers will delight in Society’s Child. The audiobook won three awards: Audi Award, Narration by Author, 2013; Grammy Award Winner, Best Spoken Word Album, 2013; and Booklist Top 10 Biography Audiobooks.
December 17, 2012
Things Janis and I have in common: Born within a year of each other, to secular Jewish parents with Communist links. Started to talk early, started to read early, were told we had genius IQs. Concert-quality pianist fathers who gave us lessons. Younger brothers named Eric. Voracious science fiction readers since childhood. Self-imposed (maybe) identity as a misfit. Under 4'11". Queer.
What Janis also had, and has: A very high activity/energy level, copious talent, self-motivation, drive, persistence. I kind of missed the 70s, so didn't realize she'd remained in the public eye so much after her first hit, Society's Child, which I'd liked. I saw her play at the Clearwater Festival several years ago--a very nice presence.
The book was a good read; she's had a fascinating life. It's interesting to see the workings of the artist's mind, the creative process, and also the workings of the music industry, which both promotes and stifles artistry. The anecdotes about various famous and talented musicians she's spent time with were fun. Where it got annoying, though, was the accumulation of instances where she was the victim. Yes, she was molested, and a child is always the victim there. Yes, she didn't get to spend much of her adolescence with her family, and that was not her fault either. And having an abusive husband is not the wife's fault, nor is being slow to recognize that the abusive marriage is not tenable. But she started to lose me somewhere between all the times she was screwed over by untrustworthy lovers, industry honchos or policies, a predatory therapist, her bookkeeper, and the IRS. She kept saying that she never was able to give her trust, but it looked like she gave way too much of it. By the time she got to the drama of a couple of health episodes where she almost died, she'd lost much of my sympathy. Then again, it was an illness that forced her to slow down (that energy level!), which she really needed to do, and caused her to meet her current partner, with whom it seems she's had a lovely life for a couple of decades. I would have liked to see more about her science fiction connections, but I guess that wouldn't have been of interest to as many readers. Oh, well.
What Janis also had, and has: A very high activity/energy level, copious talent, self-motivation, drive, persistence. I kind of missed the 70s, so didn't realize she'd remained in the public eye so much after her first hit, Society's Child, which I'd liked. I saw her play at the Clearwater Festival several years ago--a very nice presence.
The book was a good read; she's had a fascinating life. It's interesting to see the workings of the artist's mind, the creative process, and also the workings of the music industry, which both promotes and stifles artistry. The anecdotes about various famous and talented musicians she's spent time with were fun. Where it got annoying, though, was the accumulation of instances where she was the victim. Yes, she was molested, and a child is always the victim there. Yes, she didn't get to spend much of her adolescence with her family, and that was not her fault either. And having an abusive husband is not the wife's fault, nor is being slow to recognize that the abusive marriage is not tenable. But she started to lose me somewhere between all the times she was screwed over by untrustworthy lovers, industry honchos or policies, a predatory therapist, her bookkeeper, and the IRS. She kept saying that she never was able to give her trust, but it looked like she gave way too much of it. By the time she got to the drama of a couple of health episodes where she almost died, she'd lost much of my sympathy. Then again, it was an illness that forced her to slow down (that energy level!), which she really needed to do, and caused her to meet her current partner, with whom it seems she's had a lovely life for a couple of decades. I would have liked to see more about her science fiction connections, but I guess that wouldn't have been of interest to as many readers. Oh, well.
September 15, 2015
I knew very little about Janis Ian's life before I read this book. I had memories of seeing her on TV singing "Society's Child" on a show hosted by Leonard Bernstein and being quite moved by the song. At the tine I was 15 or 16, and so was she. I was mildly familar with "At Seventeen" from hearing it on the radio and with "Jesse" because Joan Baez had recorded it. When I was the branch manager of the Ocean Park Library in Santa Monica in about 1987-1988, Janis lived nearby and was a frequent library user and an impressively avid reader. One of my staff members was an enthusiastic fan, but we were careful not to mention that we knew who Janis was until the day she came in to cancel her library card because she was moving to Nashville. And that was the total of what I knew about her until she toured with Tom Pwxton recently and I heard her perform at Berkeley Freight & Salvage. I was intrigued enough to want to get my hands on a copy of this book, which proved to be an amazing revelation. I admire her clear, straightforward writing style and her courage and honesty in discussing her feelings about the many difficulties she has overcome. At one point, I was flabbergasted when I realized that everything she had just finished describing had happened before she turned 32! There are many important life lessons to be learned here for any reader, but especially for those of us of her generation who were "born into the crack that split America," as she aptly describes the differences between our parents' approach to life and ours. I have a new appreciation of this artist and am very grateful that she had found her way to a happy, secure life where she is free to pursue her muse in the ways she prefers. I also enjoy her frequent Facebook posts and look forward to her future concerts.
September 13, 2008
Before Britney Spears, The Jonas Brothers, or Miley Cyrus, there was Janis Ian! Ian was a sixties wunderkind who scored her first single at the age of 15, made millions, lost them, and had both a husband and a wife during her storied lifetime. Unlike many other singers and actors, Ian can actually write, and her autobiography goes down easily in great, gritty gulps of sex, drugs and rock and roll. I especially enjoyed the earlier sections about her hippie-dippy upbringing and summers at "commie" camp. It dragged a bit for me when Ian began chronicling her bouts with an abusive husband, depression and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and, as a Gen-Xer, I had never heard of Ian previously, although some of the titles sound familiar. (Of course, I will now be checking her out on iTunes) I'm sure this will be a richer reading experience for those who grew up with Ian's music, but I did enjoy much of the "trip."
January 5, 2010
I have loved Janis Ian's music for 30 years. But I like it less having read this autobiography, which disappoints me terribly for its endless self-indulgence and frequent deviations into irrelevance or self-justification. It's got one of the best first lines of any autobiography I've read--"I was born into the crack that split America"--but it's all downhill from there. Ian doesn't emerge as a very likable character, alas. I wish her well and am glad her life is finally on track, but in this case, I wish I hadn't read the book.
March 27, 2013
(read as audiobook)
Although she's not widely recognized for it, Janis Ian was a pioneer--as a musician, as an admitted and acknowledged lesbian, and as an independent artist making use of the Internet to connect with fans and market her work. All of that gives her story continued relevance. And the personal tragicomedy of it--the romantic drama, the associates who proved untrustworthy, the vindictive IRS agent who pursued her for years over back taxes--makes it fascinating reading.
I found that I needed to remind myself of the distinctions between autobiography and memoir more than once while listening to Society's Child While it may take off on tangents, memoir usually is structured around a central theme that drives its narrative; autobiography is less organized, and therefore, more like the life it portrays. That quality caused me to have trouble with Ian's chronology at times, and I needed to remember that while a story has to be told in some sort of sequence, some the events in that story may be occurring concurrently...and I just didn't need to fixate so much on what happened when and in relation to what else. That ended up not being so difficult after all, though, because Janis Ian drew me into her story beautifully.
More: http://www.3rsblog.com/2013/03/audiob...
Although she's not widely recognized for it, Janis Ian was a pioneer--as a musician, as an admitted and acknowledged lesbian, and as an independent artist making use of the Internet to connect with fans and market her work. All of that gives her story continued relevance. And the personal tragicomedy of it--the romantic drama, the associates who proved untrustworthy, the vindictive IRS agent who pursued her for years over back taxes--makes it fascinating reading.
I found that I needed to remind myself of the distinctions between autobiography and memoir more than once while listening to Society's Child While it may take off on tangents, memoir usually is structured around a central theme that drives its narrative; autobiography is less organized, and therefore, more like the life it portrays. That quality caused me to have trouble with Ian's chronology at times, and I needed to remember that while a story has to be told in some sort of sequence, some the events in that story may be occurring concurrently...and I just didn't need to fixate so much on what happened when and in relation to what else. That ended up not being so difficult after all, though, because Janis Ian drew me into her story beautifully.
More: http://www.3rsblog.com/2013/03/audiob...
Want to read
May 2, 2016The audio had her songs and is narrated by Janis, herself!
October 7, 2011
Let me start by saying that I love Janis Ian! Her music is beautiful and inspiring! Janis tells a story with every song, in great depth and with a passion that today's "songwriters" (a term I feel is used far too broadly in this day and age) lack in both originality and expression. She is incredibly multi-talented and it is a shame to not introduce her to younger audiences who have no idea what true musical talent really is.
That being said, whether you are a fan or not, 'Society's Child:My Autobiography' is a very open, in depth story of one woman's life - the pain, the struggles, the happiness, the innocence and loss of, the heartbreak and the healing- a very courageous story of living a dream too young to understand, growing up in the spotlight and what it cost and then growing up in general. In telling her story Janis gives us a view into what it was like to have to try to balance life between being a star at such an early age and just being a young girl,the inner workings and dealings of the music industry, and how not to give up in the face of despair. What Janis shares is something profoundly special - at a depth that most would not share with their closest friends and she shares it with all of us and in a voice that sounds as if she is speaking directly to you instead of written on the page. I have had the honor to see her perform and share her stories live and I can say that Janis writes in the same tones that she speaks- frank, captivating and charismatic. A genuinely beautiful person who has invited us into her life. I would definitely recommend this book.
That being said, whether you are a fan or not, 'Society's Child:My Autobiography' is a very open, in depth story of one woman's life - the pain, the struggles, the happiness, the innocence and loss of, the heartbreak and the healing- a very courageous story of living a dream too young to understand, growing up in the spotlight and what it cost and then growing up in general. In telling her story Janis gives us a view into what it was like to have to try to balance life between being a star at such an early age and just being a young girl,the inner workings and dealings of the music industry, and how not to give up in the face of despair. What Janis shares is something profoundly special - at a depth that most would not share with their closest friends and she shares it with all of us and in a voice that sounds as if she is speaking directly to you instead of written on the page. I have had the honor to see her perform and share her stories live and I can say that Janis writes in the same tones that she speaks- frank, captivating and charismatic. A genuinely beautiful person who has invited us into her life. I would definitely recommend this book.
March 22, 2019
I read this book for Popsugar challenge prompt #3 a book written by a musician.
I listened to this book on Audible read by the author. Janis Ian is a wonderful narrator and you get a bonus because she sings a bit from a song of hers at the beginning of each chapter. At Seventeen really impacted me when it came out. I didn't know much about her other songs as I'm horrible at remembering songs and their artists. So this story was quite a surprise to me. She has lead a remarkable life. Her early rise to fame, her health problems and her struggles as an artist were incredible to listen to. I really admire the life she's built.
I listened to this book on Audible read by the author. Janis Ian is a wonderful narrator and you get a bonus because she sings a bit from a song of hers at the beginning of each chapter. At Seventeen really impacted me when it came out. I didn't know much about her other songs as I'm horrible at remembering songs and their artists. So this story was quite a surprise to me. She has lead a remarkable life. Her early rise to fame, her health problems and her struggles as an artist were incredible to listen to. I really admire the life she's built.
June 18, 2014
Society's Child: My Autobiography by Janis Ian (finished 6/14/14): I've been a fan of Janis Ian's music for quite a while. I remember when Society's Child first came out... I lived At Seventeen... I recall her hiatus from the music business and her triumphant return with Hunger and god & the fbi. I've seen her in concert multiple times (as long-ago as college days... at Main Street Cafe in Homestead FL... as recent as the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival). In fact, I bought this book at FRFF 2010 when she was performing and stood in line to have her sign it. She told stories during her set about her mom's passing a few years before and, since I was care-taking for my own mom the summer before (missing the festival), it all hit home. She was gracious during my few minutes with her, holding my hand when I started crying, and then commenting on my Todd Snider Peace Love Anarchy baseball cap ("I love Todd. He and I are e-mail buddies."... :-)
All this to say, I really wanted to like this book but, for a variety of reasons, I really didn't. There's just something about the *tone* of it... very arrogant, very passive-aggressive, very paranoid. I understand that she was thrust into the spotlight at a young age, and she had to develop coping skills to manage the influx of fame, money, fans. Janis' therapist continues to tell her that she doesn't trust anyone, but there's also a part of her that trusts everyone... entirely too much, such that her life choices come into question as she stays in relationships (professional as well as personal) entirely too long. There's a guardedness to this autobiography, even though it mostly feels that she's airing all the dirty laundry. Only toward the end, with her mom's passing, her marriage to girlfriend Pat and new life venture of fiction-writing does she begin to seem authentic and warm, but by then it's almost too late.
I'm glad I had the opportunity to meet Janis a few times to counterbalance the "sour grapes" account of her life which comes across on the page. She has, however, always had a wicked sense of humor, best evidenced in this snippet from her acceptance speech after winning a Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album (her reading of this memoir), in which her competition was Michelle Obama, Bill Clinton, Rachel Maddow and Ellen DeGeneres:
“I keep thinking there’s got to be a punchline here…an ex-president, the First Lady and three lesbians walk into a bar... " :-)
All this to say, I really wanted to like this book but, for a variety of reasons, I really didn't. There's just something about the *tone* of it... very arrogant, very passive-aggressive, very paranoid. I understand that she was thrust into the spotlight at a young age, and she had to develop coping skills to manage the influx of fame, money, fans. Janis' therapist continues to tell her that she doesn't trust anyone, but there's also a part of her that trusts everyone... entirely too much, such that her life choices come into question as she stays in relationships (professional as well as personal) entirely too long. There's a guardedness to this autobiography, even though it mostly feels that she's airing all the dirty laundry. Only toward the end, with her mom's passing, her marriage to girlfriend Pat and new life venture of fiction-writing does she begin to seem authentic and warm, but by then it's almost too late.
I'm glad I had the opportunity to meet Janis a few times to counterbalance the "sour grapes" account of her life which comes across on the page. She has, however, always had a wicked sense of humor, best evidenced in this snippet from her acceptance speech after winning a Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album (her reading of this memoir), in which her competition was Michelle Obama, Bill Clinton, Rachel Maddow and Ellen DeGeneres:
“I keep thinking there’s got to be a punchline here…an ex-president, the First Lady and three lesbians walk into a bar... " :-)
June 26, 2010
This is an interesting book by an interesting writer. Janis Ian had her first big hit when still in her teens with the classic "Society's Child," and has had no less than TWO musical comebacks over the course of her career. Who says there are no second acts in American lives? Take that, F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Following her life from her very "hippie" upbringing through the present day, this autobiography shows Ian's ups and downs as she deals with fame, personal and professional problems, and all the ups and downs of her interesting life. Ian is a strong writer, and she goes a good job of elucidating her thinking during the various phases of her life.
There are several interesting tidbits here, including her friendships with Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin, but the majority of the book chronicles Ian's struggles to be an artist working within a system (the record business) that doesn't understand her or know what to do with her.
The book deals frankly with her sexuality (she has male and female lovers, sometimes at the same time) and her emotionally and physically abusive relationships.
In the end, the book is interesting for the long-term Ian fan, as it fills in the background for several of her biggest hits, "Society's Child," "At Seventeen," "Stars," etc. and also reveals what she was doing when she virtually dropped out of the limelight and tried to "find herself." For me, that's where the book succeeded most -- when Ian revealed her struggles and how she got past them to become the person she is today.
Following her life from her very "hippie" upbringing through the present day, this autobiography shows Ian's ups and downs as she deals with fame, personal and professional problems, and all the ups and downs of her interesting life. Ian is a strong writer, and she goes a good job of elucidating her thinking during the various phases of her life.
There are several interesting tidbits here, including her friendships with Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin, but the majority of the book chronicles Ian's struggles to be an artist working within a system (the record business) that doesn't understand her or know what to do with her.
The book deals frankly with her sexuality (she has male and female lovers, sometimes at the same time) and her emotionally and physically abusive relationships.
In the end, the book is interesting for the long-term Ian fan, as it fills in the background for several of her biggest hits, "Society's Child," "At Seventeen," "Stars," etc. and also reveals what she was doing when she virtually dropped out of the limelight and tried to "find herself." For me, that's where the book succeeded most -- when Ian revealed her struggles and how she got past them to become the person she is today.
July 29, 2014
Highly Recommended
While listening to Janis Ian perform at a local Musikfest, I took a wonderful, magical trip down memory lane. I purchased a copy of her recently released autobiography and read it in one sitting -- late into the wee morning hours.
I know the words to all the songs and now it is a special gift to hear the stories behind some of them and to learn the twists and turns of her journey.
Her well-written, insightful book shines a bright light in the corners of the rough spots of darkness of her life. Her vulnerability is profound. While writing in a non melodramatic fashion, she quietly invites the reader to sit beside her as she unravels the joys, the sadness, the blessings and the mysteries.
She touched our hearts years ago when she learned some truths at seventeen, and now, this incredible woman continues to share some of the truths she has discovered throughout her life.
While listening to Janis Ian perform at a local Musikfest, I took a wonderful, magical trip down memory lane. I purchased a copy of her recently released autobiography and read it in one sitting -- late into the wee morning hours.
I know the words to all the songs and now it is a special gift to hear the stories behind some of them and to learn the twists and turns of her journey.
Her well-written, insightful book shines a bright light in the corners of the rough spots of darkness of her life. Her vulnerability is profound. While writing in a non melodramatic fashion, she quietly invites the reader to sit beside her as she unravels the joys, the sadness, the blessings and the mysteries.
She touched our hearts years ago when she learned some truths at seventeen, and now, this incredible woman continues to share some of the truths she has discovered throughout her life.
August 1, 2020
Listened to Janis read (and sing) on Audible. . . What a treat . . . Honest and sincere. I will appreciate her songs even more now ♥️
December 23, 2017
This is my vote for best book read this year.
Ms. Ian tells her story. What can I say, I laughed, I cried... What a truly amazing woman. I wish I knew her. I wish I would be interesting enough to introduce myself to her and get to know her more. I didn't know any of her music, but of course I looked her up. She is amazing. Smart, and funny, and despite her opinion that she is not a beauty I think she is just that. I wont give away any of the plot but I will offer the following recommendations...
I would recommend this book to individual looking for:
case studies on women's rights
Individuals doing any kind of research on 60s culture
Individuals looking for research materials on LGBT rights
Individuals who just want an opportunity to feel the world through the eyes of someone who has been through ups and downs and came out through it all in one piece. In fact I think that is why I loved this book, I could feel her feelings. I could feel her joy, feel her fear, feel her frustrations, feel her success. What a breathtaking individuals. I'll say it again, I wish I knew her.
Ms. Ian tells her story. What can I say, I laughed, I cried... What a truly amazing woman. I wish I knew her. I wish I would be interesting enough to introduce myself to her and get to know her more. I didn't know any of her music, but of course I looked her up. She is amazing. Smart, and funny, and despite her opinion that she is not a beauty I think she is just that. I wont give away any of the plot but I will offer the following recommendations...
I would recommend this book to individual looking for:
case studies on women's rights
Individuals doing any kind of research on 60s culture
Individuals looking for research materials on LGBT rights
Individuals who just want an opportunity to feel the world through the eyes of someone who has been through ups and downs and came out through it all in one piece. In fact I think that is why I loved this book, I could feel her feelings. I could feel her joy, feel her fear, feel her frustrations, feel her success. What a breathtaking individuals. I'll say it again, I wish I knew her.
March 17, 2014
Another reviewer described this book as "off-putting" in its tone, and I don't think I could describe it better. A lot of Ms. Ian's unhappiness seemed to be brought about by bad choices, and I just kept thinking, "Quit wallowing in it, for goodness' sake."
A lot of other autobiographies can tell about bad circumstances without coming across so whiny. I wish this one had. I actually enjoyed her music back in the day, and now regret getting to know more about her.
I read this about a year or so ago, but am just now getting around to leaving a review, rather than only a star rating. The overall impression of the book is still the same, though.
A friend read it and gave it to me because he didn't want to reread it, and I've already passed it along to someone who might enjoy it a lot more than I did.
A lot of other autobiographies can tell about bad circumstances without coming across so whiny. I wish this one had. I actually enjoyed her music back in the day, and now regret getting to know more about her.
I read this about a year or so ago, but am just now getting around to leaving a review, rather than only a star rating. The overall impression of the book is still the same, though.
A friend read it and gave it to me because he didn't want to reread it, and I've already passed it along to someone who might enjoy it a lot more than I did.
November 7, 2012
I joined a new library system the other week, and was finally able to get my hands on a copy of this book. (I should've have just gone ahead and bought it since I've been wanting to read it for so long, but oh well.)
Ever since I happened upon the song 'Society's Child' a few years back, I have held Janis Ian in high esteem. (Read: I have been a massive fangirl of hers and have spent hours alone listening to or singing her music.) This book just increased my surety that Janis Ian is a matchless and amazing woman. I was astounded by the amount of devastating things in her life; I kept thinking it couldn't get worse, but most every chapter brought new heartbreak. But, but, but! Janis is still alive to tell her tale, and that is incredible (and makes me so happy).
Ever since I happened upon the song 'Society's Child' a few years back, I have held Janis Ian in high esteem. (Read: I have been a massive fangirl of hers and have spent hours alone listening to or singing her music.) This book just increased my surety that Janis Ian is a matchless and amazing woman. I was astounded by the amount of devastating things in her life; I kept thinking it couldn't get worse, but most every chapter brought new heartbreak. But, but, but! Janis is still alive to tell her tale, and that is incredible (and makes me so happy).
Read
December 31, 2011Ms. Ian said she wanted to write her autobiography as if it'd been written by John Grisham. She suceeded. It's fast-moving, covers a lot of years and deep emotional territory without ever dipping very far into the underlying emotional state of the author. It simultaneously tells you a great deal about this phenomenal singer/songwriter's life while keeping the reader at arms length. Far more moving, and immediate, was the talk about the book I had the fortune to hear her give about the book in Cleveland just after its release. When Ms. Ian spoke about her mother's decline and death, it was as if the listeners were with her.
November 2, 2012
The best way to enjoy this book is to listen to the audio version, narrated by Janis. You'll get some wonderful, musical chapter openers from Janis that really set the mood. Janis appears to be a very courageous, positive person, someone to be admired. The only thing that puzzled me is that Janis did not express her feelings concerning the death of her friend, Janis Joplin. She mentioned JJ, but did not mention her feelings after JJ had passed away. I found this odd. But I guess she had her reasons for not wanting to go into that in this book. Again, give yourself a treat, and listen to the audio version. It's a joy to listen to Janis's soothing, upbeat voice telling her own story.
June 14, 2020
When I started reading the autobiography, my first thought was, "She's just like me..." As her life unfolds, I was soon struck by the realization that she's nothing like me at all and she's had a horrible litany of mental and physical health issues, personal relationship tragedies and professional disasters that would have literally killed most people. For that reason, I forgive her when she reports some events with detachment and without embellishment. Other events she gives an honest and soulful examination and I feel her angst. Her writing style is excellent and the book was totally worthwhile if you've ever wondered, "What happened to Janis Ian?"
September 28, 2011
Another librarian posted an article about Janis Ian's talk at a library conference. It was very moving and so I put her autobiography on hold at the library.
It's taken me quite a while to get through it. There was a lot of sadness and sometimes, I just had to put it aside.
I have 3 children who are artists of one kind or another. Reading this book about this artist makes me hope for them that they have enough joy and enough success to have a good life without the awfulness of big success.
It seems that Janis has found peace and joy in her life.
I'm glad I read her autobiography.
It's taken me quite a while to get through it. There was a lot of sadness and sometimes, I just had to put it aside.
I have 3 children who are artists of one kind or another. Reading this book about this artist makes me hope for them that they have enough joy and enough success to have a good life without the awfulness of big success.
It seems that Janis has found peace and joy in her life.
I'm glad I read her autobiography.
April 8, 2023
I tend to like memoirs and this one was no exception. I leaned a lot about the music industry some of which I had vaguely known because of a neighbor in the business who had some similar experiences. I love learning about people and how they became who they are. Janis was very candid and I learned a lot about her vulnerability and humanity.
May 21, 2011
I found this an incredibly compelling read. For those who say that it is ego-centric or self indulgent...what were you expecting? It's a book written BY her about HER life. Autobiographies are, by their very nature, self-indulgent. Ian actually wrote a song making fun of this fact.
May 1, 2011
From her early stardom to her present circumstances, Janis has written from her heart--even when it was broken. This was the most honest autobiography I've ever read. This book is for anyone who has heard the soulful sounds in her music and wondered where it all came from. Well done!
November 17, 2008
Ian should have fired her editor or her ghostwriter, whichever was responsible. Unreadable.
January 7, 2013
If you're considering this book, I highly recommend the audiobook (Audible) version. Janice Ian narrates, and she performs snippets of her own work throughout.
September 22, 2014
MOST excellent. This read has prompted me to immerse myself in Janis Ian's work. She is playing in Chicago and Ft. Laud in 2015 and I hope to make her concerts. Have written to her webpage.
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