Non-Fiction Books
Using the format of a journal, the popular folk singer/songwriter candidly discusses her childhood, her training as a classical pianist, marriage and motherhood, her folk music career, political activism and 1960s protests, and other personal topics
The hymn that Collins calls "the pearl of spiritual songs" has inspired millions everywhere with its message of hope and salvation. Collins recounts the dramatic story behind the hymn and its miraculous influence on her life.
The respected singer and songwriter describes her journey of loss, grief, and recovery following the 1992 suicide of her son and the near-death of her companion of fifteen years, after which she explored the potential of the human soul. Reprint.
A follow-up to the best-selling The Artist's Way presents a wealth of intermediate strategies and techniques for breaking through challenging creative ground and discovering one's potential. Reprint. 40,000 first printing.
Beloved singer-songwriter Judy Collins draws on her personal experience with her son's suicide to guide readers through grieving the loss of a loved one who has died under tragic circumstances. The death of a loved one is always painful and the grieving process complex and profound. Yet when the loss occurs under tragic circumstances, there is a whole other set of emotional variables that the people left behind must face. Questions abound, such as "Could I have stopped this?" Feelings of guilt, shame, and even anger combine with the overwhelming sadness of losing someone who was dearly loved. Drawing on her own experience of losing her son to suicide, as well as her conversations with hundreds of people who have grieved the tragic death of a friend or family member, revered singer-songwriter Judy Collins has culled together seven powerful steps toward healing. The Seven T's are: TRUTH: Tell it. Regardless of how terrible the facts may be and how hard it is to talk about, don't hide the truth about how you lost the person you loved. TRUST: Allow it. Don't let the painful circumstances surrounding the death of your loved one prevent you from talking with friends about your loss. THERAPY: Get it. Seek help-whether through traditional talk therapy, your art, meditation, or whatever method you choose-but get the help you need. TREASURE: Hold on. Don't stop treasuring your loved one. Don't let the horrible events leading to his or her death wash away all of the things that were good and beautiful about that person's life. THRIVE: Keep living with your eyes wide open. Don't give in to the temptation to use alcohol or any other addiction to blunt or blur your sadness. TREAT: Be kind to yourself. Give yourself the gift of self-nourishment. TRIUMPH: You must. Live a life of joy, abundance, and forgiveness. From a woman famous for her wisdom and compassion, The Seven T's is destined to become a classic on the subject of grieving and loss.
A vivid, highly evocative memoir of one of the reigning icons of folk music, highlighting the decade of the ’60s, when hits like “Both Sides Now” catapulted her to international fame. Sweet Judy Blue Eyes is the deeply personal, honest, and revealing memoir of folk legend and relentlessly creative spirit Judy Collins. In it, she talks about her alcoholism, her lasting love affair with Stephen Stills, her friendships with Joan Baez, Richard and Mimi Fariña, David Crosby, and Leonard Cohen and, above all, the music that helped define a decade and a generation’s sound track. Sweet Judy Blue Eyes invites the reader into the parties that peppered Laurel Canyon and into the recording studio so we see how cuts evolved take after take, while it sets an array of amazing musical talent against the backdrop of one of the most turbulent decades of twentieth-century America. Beautifully written, richly textured, and sharply insightful, Sweet Judy Blue Eyes is an unforgettable chronicle of the folk renaissance in America.
A no-holds-barred account of folk legend Judy Collins's harrowing struggle with compulsive overeating and of the journey that led her to a solution. Since childhood Judy Collins has had a tumultuous, fraught relationship with food. Her issues with overeating nearly claimed her career and her life. For decades she thought she simply lacked self-discipline. She tried nearly every diet plan that exists, often turning to alcohol to dull the pain of yet another failed attempt to control her seemingly insatiable cravings. Today, Judy knows she suffers from an addiction to sugar and grains, flour and wheat. She adheres to a strict diet of unprocessed foods consumed in carefully measured portions. This solution has allowed her to maintain a healthy weight for years, to enjoy the glow of good health, and to attain peace of mind. Alternating between chapters on her life and those of the many diet gurus she has encountered along the way (Atkins, Jean Nidetch of Weight Watchers, Andrew Weil, to name a few), Cravings is the culmination of Judy's genuine desire to share what she's learned—so that no one else has navigate her heart-rending path to recovery.