An Independent Best Non-Fiction Book for 2024


"A vibrant, multifaceted portrait of a music enigma" Guardian

"A powerful portrait of Joni Mitchell" Irish Independent
Celebrated music critic Ann Powers explores the life and career of the legendary Joni Mitchell

What you are about to read is not a standard account of the life and work of Joni Mitchell. Instead, its a tale of long journeying through a life that changed popular music: of a homesick wanderer forging ahead on routes of her invention, and of me on her trail, heading toward the ringing of her voice.

One of the most celebrated artists of her generation, Joni Mitchell has inspired countless musicians and writers, while never stopping still herself.

In Travelling, celebrated music critic Ann Powers seeks to understand the paradox of Mitchell at once both elusive and inviting through her myriad journeys. Drawing on extensive inter­views with Mitchells peers and deep archival research, Powers takes readers to rural Canada, charts the course of Mitchells musical evolution, follows the winding road of Mitchells collaborations with other greats and explores the loves that fed her songwriting.

Kaleidoscopic in scope and intimate in detail, Travelling is a fresh and fascinating addition to the Joni Mitchell corpus and one that questions whether an artist can ever truly be known to their fans.