(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Janis Ian's "Life's Work" Preserved at Berea College [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.', 'Backgroundurl Avatar_Large', 'Nickname', 'Joined', 'Created_At', 'Story Count', 'N_Stories', 'Comment Count', 'N_Comments', 'Popular Tags'] Date: 2023-02-24 Legendary singer, songwriter, and activist Janis Ian You may know of Berea College from its 1855 founding as the first integrated, coeducational institution of higher learning in the American South. You may know of its Appalachian focus and its “everyone works” zero-tuition approach to collegiate education (it hasn’t charged tuition since 1892). You may have heard of it as the final academic home of writer, feminist, and social activist Gloria Jean Watkins, better known by her pen name of bell hooks. Most recently, perhaps, you saw mention of the opening of the College’s hydropower facility on the Kentucky River. Berea College (Berea, KY) Well, there will soon be another reason for folks to learn of Berea College, thanks to legendary folk singer and activist Janis Ian. As the press release tells us: Multiple Grammy Award winning recording artist, songwriter and musician Janis Ian has donated her entire archives, along with her father’s 1937 Martin D-19, to Berea College’s Special Collections and Archives at Hutchins Library, where they will be made available for viewing and study in the future. Visitors to the Berea College Special Collections and Archives will be able to view Ian’s correspondence with other musical artists, famous friends and collaborators, while flipping through song notebooks, diaries and a journal that includes Ian’s first poem, written at age 10. A 1974 photo of (l to r) Bruce Springsteen, Philadelphia DJ Ed Sciaky, Janis Ian, and Billy Joel Ian’s donation is not limited to materials with a direct connection to her creative gifts, however; the phrase “the whole kit and kaboodle” definitely comes to mind when reading this description: The Janis Ian Archives are a unique resource for music history research, offering public access to evidence of Ian’s life and career, including publishing, recording and live performance contracts, copyright paperwork, tax returns, contracts and correspondence dating back to 1964. The extensive archival collection even includes Ian’s grandparents’ immigration papers, circa 1916. It also chronicles the House Un-American Activities Committee years, with insights into her parents’ FBI files (and what FBI surveillance cost the family over the decades). Additional materials document the journey of Ian’s 1937 Martin D-18 guitar and her involvement in the civil rights, women’s, and gay rights movements. Berea College really is an idyllic small-town campus... Simply put, Ian’s archives will present a uniquely comprehensive look into the life of a major singer, songwriter, and activist voice of our time. As Ian remarked at the media announcement: “Well, you know that’s something nobody else has done that I’m aware of,” Ian said. “And I thought if you really want to educate people about a career that’s had almost 60 years in the music industry or the arts, let them see the book contracts, let them see the movie contracts. Let them see the behind-the-scenes negotiations. So, eventually, it will all be available. Every scrap, as weird as that is.” The collaboration with Berea College is not a surprise. Ian and her wife, Patricia Synder, are longtime supporters of the College, where they endow several scholarships in support of the school’s tuition-free model and its centuries-long commitment to social justice. They also appreciated the school’s willingness to maintain open access to the archives: Ian said another factor in her selection of Berea College is its commitment to making the items easily accessible to the public. She wants students and researchers to be able to get their hands on the items, even some quirky things such as a Janis Ian action figure or handmade gifts given to her by fans. Many of the clothes she wore on stage are in the collection. She even donated her father’s 1937 Martin D-18 guitar and wants it to be played by students and faculty members. [...] Ian says she feels better about her decision every day. “I can’t think of a better place to house my life’s work. I really can’t.” The Janis Ian Archives are scheduled to open to the public in late 2023. Anyone wishing to support this effort directly is invited to consider a donation to the Berea College Janis Ian Archive Fund. [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/2/24/2154802/-Janis-Ian-s-Life-s-Work-Preserved-at-Berea-College Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/