Don't try to pick up Janis Ian's new autobiography unless you've got some time. Her stories are gripping and sometimes shocking, including the time her drunken ex-husband held a gun to her head all night after striking her.
In the interview, I wasn't quite sure how to bring up such a harsh history. But when Ian arrived she was so relaxed that I felt comfortable asking her about the stories in Society's Child: My Autobiography. After hearing this conversation I think you'll feel that you met Janis Ian, too, and you may feel more comfortable talking about your secrets.
More About Janis Ian
Nominated for a Grammy by the time she was 16, singer-songwriter Janis Ian also earned a permanent place in the American musical and cultural consciousness with "At Seventeen," the quintessential song for the awkward teenage years. Still writing exciting music 40 years later, she has captured her amazing journey in a new book, Society's Child: My Autobiography. Each chapter is named after a different song, all of which are in turn brought together on Best of Janis Ian: The Autobiography Collection, a two-CD set of her remastered hits.
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