Society’s Child—The autobiography behind Janis Ian’s 2013 Grammy for Best Spoken Word.
Janis Ian began her career as a singer-songwriter in the 1960s with “Society’s Child.” In 1975, she won her first Grammy Award for the self-penned song, “At Seventeen”. She won her second Grammy in 2013 for her reading of Society’s Child: My Autobiography, in audiobook. (Listen to Society’s Child songs here.)
Janis Ian has had #1 hits all over the world, sold more than 10 million albums, and had her songs recorded by such diverse artists as Bette Midler, Roberta Flack, and John Mellencamp. She shows no signs of slowing down. Among her current projects are audiobook narrations, tours throughout the US and internationally, a young adult novel, and a series of new recordings.
Autobiography of both Joy and Survival
In Society’s Child: my autobiography, Janis Ian does not hold back. In the same way that she has written her songs and lived her life, she approaches her autobiography with truth and dignity. Her life as a teenage celebrity performing alongside the other great names of the day—Bob Dylan, Odetta, Aretha Franklin—came at the same time as she was being targeted by hate groups for her interracial lyrics.
Ian’s autobiography is the story of a star who came out as a lesbian well before the country had accepted gay rights. She shares all of her struggles, including those that many people, whether famous or not, will identify with, such as helping her mother in her final days and being duped by her financial advisors.
STARS: The Anthology — Original Science Fiction Stories
With a bonus, original new story by Michael Swanwick for the 2014 edition.
Janis Ian and 30 top science fiction writers team up to create an astonishing book of original short fiction. STARS is a huge anthology in both volume and talent. Each story, available only here, is based on a Janis Ian song that meant something special to the author, who then wrote the story expressly for STARS, creating a meld of jazz, prose and science fiction found nowhere else —a treasure trove for fans of both SF and Janis Ian! Also, this edition of STARS features an original new story by Michael Swanwick, “For I Have Lain Me Down on The Stone of Loneliness and I’ll Not Be Back Again” based on “Mary’s Eyes”, a Janis Ian song that has always moved him to tears.
STARS was compiled and edited by Mike Resnick and Janis Ian and includes stories by Nebula winners and science fiction greats such as Joe Haldeman, Jane Yolen, Gregory Benford, Orson Scott Card, and more. It also includes Ian’s first original story, “Prayerville.”
As Janis herself says, “The stories have heart. They have life. They have truth. They move me. As an artist, I can ask for nothing more.”
Included in STARS: The Anthology are stories by:
Kage Baker ~ Stephen Baxter ~ Gregory Benford ~ Terry Bisson ~ Orson Scott Card ~ Susan Casper ~ Diane Duane ~ David Gerrold ~ Joe Haldeman ~ Janis Ian ~ Kay Kenyon ~ Nancy Kress ~ Mercedes Lackey ~ Sharon Lee and Steve Miller Tanith Lee ~ Barry N. Malzberg ~ Susan R. Matthews ~ Mike Resnick ~ Spider Robinson ~ Kristine Kathryn Rusch ~ Robert J. Sawyer ~ Robert Sheckley ~ Dean Wesley Smith ~ Judith Tarr ~ Harry Turtledove ~ John Varley ~ Howard Waldrop ~ Tad Williams ~ Jane Yolen ~ and a new story by Michael Swanwick.
Lucky Bat Books is proud to be publisher of these Janis Ian titles. Read more about Janis Ian on her website: JanisIan.com. And give yourself time there to listen to her songs, generously available on her site.
Cover design of STARS by Theresa Rose over an Istockphoto supplied by the author. Managing editor, Judith Harlan.