Janis Joplin: Rise Up Singing (2010) - Plot & Excerpts
"Janis Joplin,Rise Up Singing". Is all about Janis Joplin, from her younger days and to the day she died. In her school years Janis was definitely what you would call an out-cast. When all the other girls wore bright colors and had short curly hair. Janis wore dark colors and had long frizzy hair. She did have friends, but most of her friends were the rebellious boys. When Janis graduated High-School, she went to collage for 8 months, then stopped and got a job. On her free time she would hang out with her friends, sing, and get drunk. Ever since she was little she loved to sing, she stopped a couple of times because she wasn't up to her standards. Eventually she joined a band named The Big Brothers. They partied and did drugs constantly. Janis always got into arguments with the band members and she eventually left the band. Looking for a new group to join. She still went to parties and got wasted and high all the time. Eventually she joined a new group called Cosmic Bluez. They did extraordinarily well. Sadly at the age of 27 Janis Joplin had an overdose, and died. Her unique voice still is one of the top 100 artist. Janis has left a mark in music history. I really enjoyed this book, as I remember my parents listening to Janis Joplin and have always enjoyed some of her songs. I found it to be extremely interesting and informative and think teen would find it so as well. While I have always known she died of a drug overdose, I never knew the history of how unhappy, insecure, and lonely she was. I found it so sad that when she returned to her hometown for her 10 year high school reunion, she was basically snubbed by her classmates just like she had been in high school, even though at this point she was a fairly big rock star. She was constantly searching for approval and validation and used drugs and alcohol to mask her insecurity and make her appear that she was this wild, out of control rock star. I also never knew that she was intelligent,well read and a had a mind for business, creating a corporation to merchandise fan memorabilia and a publishing company. Since she always had a bottle of Southern Comfort with her, she even managed to get the company to pay her for the publicity - that's smart business! In the end however, her demons got the best of her and she died a lonely death of an overdose of alcohol and herion. I think many teens, while probably unfamilar with her music, could relate to her feelings of not belonging or measuring up to external ideals. It would be great if even only a small percentage of teens understand that it is not a good idea to use or abuse drugs and alcohol and that it doesn't really help with issues that are present to begin with.
What do You think about Janis Joplin: Rise Up Singing (2010)?
I know more about Janis then I did before and have a new appreciation for her life and music.
—Beba
I didn't know a lot about Janis Joplin, other than she was an amazing singer.
—angie
