I Dream of Joni, Henry Alford
I Dream of Joni, Henry Alford
List: $25.99 | Sale: $18.20
Club: $12.99

I Dream of Joni
A Portrait of Joni Mitchell in 53 Snapshots

Author: Henry Alford

Narrator: Henry Alford

Unabridged: 9 hr 55 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 01/21/2025

Categories: Nonfiction, Music, Humor


Synopsis

In this nationally bestselling “delightful compendium of everything you ever wanted to know about” (The Washington Post) Joni Mitchell, the eternal singer-songwriter is seen anew, portrayed through a witty and comprehensive exploration of anecdotes, quotes, lyrics by Henry Alford, “the most graceful of humorists” (Vanity Fair) and a writer for The New Yorker.

Joni Mitchell’s life, psyche, and evolving legacy are explored here in “the greatest Joni book ever” (Francine Prose, New York Times bestselling author of Lovers at the Chameleon Club). From her childhood in Saskatoon, Canada, to her transformative years in Laurel Canyon that turned her into, as Alfred puts it, “the bard of heartbreak and longing,” this definitive biography examines an artist celebrated by Rolling Stone as “one of the greatest songwriters ever.” Each period of Mitchell’s life is observed via the artists, friends, family, and lovers she encountered along the way, including James Taylor, Leonard Cohen, Georgia O’Keefe, Prince, and, most significantly, Kilauren, the daughter Mitchell gave up for adoption at birth but then reconnected with decades later.

Presented in the impressionistic vein of Ninety-Nine Glimpses of Princess Margret, I Dream of Joni explores in fifty-three essays, with the author’s critically acclaimed trademark wit and verve, the life of the legendary singer-songwriter.

About Henry Alford

Henry Alford is a humorist and journalist who has written for The New Yorker for more than two decades. A former columnist for The New York Times and a contributing editor to Vanity Fair, he is the author of six books, including And Then We DancedHow to Live, Big Kiss, an account of his attempts to become a working actor, which won a Thurber Prize, and I Dream of Joni.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Gabrielle (Reading Rampage) on May 07, 2025

For Indie Bookstore Day, the lovely Pulp Books and Café on Wellington gave away an ARC with any book purchase, and I was lucky enough to score a copy of “I Dream of Joni” with this promotion. Built in a format similar to Craig Brown’s “150 Glimpses of the Beatles”, it’s a breeze to read and makes fo......more

Goodreads review by Lauren on December 25, 2024

I feel like the luckiest girl because my sister (magically) found an advanced copy in Berkeley and gifted it to me so I got to read this before Jan 2025! I actually cried at the author’s note. I loved how this felt the right amount of educational, but also didn’t read like non-fiction at all sometim......more

Goodreads review by Trevor on March 21, 2025

As I've often said in previous reviews of non-fiction books about artists and musicians I'm not familiar with, good writing can make me care about the artists I don't know well or only know for one or two things. So it stands with this book by Henry Alford, about a musician whose work means so much......more

Goodreads review by Lisa Castecka | on January 21, 2025

I looooove Joni Mitchell and when this popped up on NetGalley I had to request it. What a gem of a biography! 💎 Written in a series of essays, Alford navigates Mitchell’s early life all the way through now; as well as her relationships with other famous artists. Each essay provided humorous and inte......more

Goodreads review by D on January 24, 2025

This is a rather fascinating look at the life of singer and song writer Joni Mitchell. Perhaps her most well known song is Both Sides Now. The book consists of 53 vignettes. Author Henry Alford calls them 53 snapshots. I especially liked the one about artist Georgia O'Keeffe. You will laugh out loud......more