Joan, I've been your fan for 15+ years. Your first albums, "To Survive" and "Real Life" -- which I now know were sober -- are still in top rotation here; you get more play than the Beatles or Joni in our house. Our now-grown kids know your songs by heart. And when me and some friends saw your perfect show at the Cafe du Nord in San Francisco (long ago), you gave me a hug at the merch table afterwards, because you are That Cool Still. You're a brilliant, consummate artist, and your essay here just confirms it mille fois. Thanks for all you give your fans; we're loyal for life!
I have 18 years this week. I love the question about the best and worst parts of Recovery. I would say that the return of feelings is both. First, I got to reclaim feelings I didn’t know I had. Then I got to deal with those feelings in an emotionally sober way. I have an inner child whose feelings can get hurt very easily, and I need to remind her that feelings come and go and they won’t kill her.
great interview. i love what she says about negotiating with her inner voices. have never thought about it in this way but yes, isn’t it strange how we all carry these destructive self-judgments, little cancerous seeds of doubt that don’t serve us
Wonderful recovery story. I feel like we’re in the rooms together. Thanks for articulating so clearly the joy and gratitude of sober life and of creating art in that life.
I love this most of all: "That voice is a traitor, a zombie, a vampire. That voice is persuasive, manipulative, and sneaky. I have cautiously made friends with these creatures and their attributes. It’s up and down but over time we are learning to get along." The way you put this helps me tune in to my own sneaky, traitorous voice, to hear its whine more clearly, and tenderly tell it to shut up. Thank you.
Yo Joan. A beautiful story. So well told. But what’s so bad about embarrassing yourself? I do it all the time. Why work on it? Don’t revel in it. Just forgive yourself. You deserve it.—💐IE.
I hung on every word and still want to re-read and share with sober people in my life. I drank alcoholically for 30 straight years, the last ten of which I awakened every morning cursing Higher Power for not letting me die in my sleep. I heard “meeting talk”throughout this heart warming interview/collaboration. I’d wager you thought of the AA expression, “You’ve got to give it away to keep it.” Thanks for doing just that, Joan.
I love everything about this interview (and I've loved Joan's music, esp "The Deep Field" which is still one of my top-ten records of all time). The older I get the more I realize that true power and freedom begin with radical self-acceptance, and this seems to be Joan is advocating for.
I really like hearing from people who are sober. It validates my experience.
I am the Beloved of someone who used to abuse alcohol. I went to AlAnon for a number of years. It was a mad mad world where he drank and I enabled. We got sober though. Me first, then him, kicking and screaming sometimes. We are now here in sobriety-ville living the good (sober) life.
This: “I began to notice the parts of life I had rushed through before.” YES! Thank you Sari & Joan for this interview! The song, The Ride has been on my phone for decades now. I love this series so much. It has officially entered my imaginary interview series that started with me paneling on Carson, then Letterman, then Maron and now, finally, a woman! I answer the questions and learn plenty about myself…that I still want attention is one!
Joan, I've been your fan for 15+ years. Your first albums, "To Survive" and "Real Life" -- which I now know were sober -- are still in top rotation here; you get more play than the Beatles or Joni in our house. Our now-grown kids know your songs by heart. And when me and some friends saw your perfect show at the Cafe du Nord in San Francisco (long ago), you gave me a hug at the merch table afterwards, because you are That Cool Still. You're a brilliant, consummate artist, and your essay here just confirms it mille fois. Thanks for all you give your fans; we're loyal for life!
I have 18 years this week. I love the question about the best and worst parts of Recovery. I would say that the return of feelings is both. First, I got to reclaim feelings I didn’t know I had. Then I got to deal with those feelings in an emotionally sober way. I have an inner child whose feelings can get hurt very easily, and I need to remind her that feelings come and go and they won’t kill her.
I’ve loved her music for years and now I love her, too! so wise and cool.
great interview. i love what she says about negotiating with her inner voices. have never thought about it in this way but yes, isn’t it strange how we all carry these destructive self-judgments, little cancerous seeds of doubt that don’t serve us
Yes!
Wonderful recovery story. I feel like we’re in the rooms together. Thanks for articulating so clearly the joy and gratitude of sober life and of creating art in that life.
I love this most of all: "That voice is a traitor, a zombie, a vampire. That voice is persuasive, manipulative, and sneaky. I have cautiously made friends with these creatures and their attributes. It’s up and down but over time we are learning to get along." The way you put this helps me tune in to my own sneaky, traitorous voice, to hear its whine more clearly, and tenderly tell it to shut up. Thank you.
Yo Joan. A beautiful story. So well told. But what’s so bad about embarrassing yourself? I do it all the time. Why work on it? Don’t revel in it. Just forgive yourself. You deserve it.—💐IE.
I hung on every word and still want to re-read and share with sober people in my life. I drank alcoholically for 30 straight years, the last ten of which I awakened every morning cursing Higher Power for not letting me die in my sleep. I heard “meeting talk”throughout this heart warming interview/collaboration. I’d wager you thought of the AA expression, “You’ve got to give it away to keep it.” Thanks for doing just that, Joan.
Love everything about this interview - especially struck by how AA's "attraction not promotion" vibes drew Joan to sobriety/recovery.
I love everything about this interview (and I've loved Joan's music, esp "The Deep Field" which is still one of my top-ten records of all time). The older I get the more I realize that true power and freedom begin with radical self-acceptance, and this seems to be Joan is advocating for.
from beginning to end love this interview
and also , thank you very much Joan ! 💯
I loved this interview. And I so agree about the wonderful community found in recovery.
❤️
I really like hearing from people who are sober. It validates my experience.
I am the Beloved of someone who used to abuse alcohol. I went to AlAnon for a number of years. It was a mad mad world where he drank and I enabled. We got sober though. Me first, then him, kicking and screaming sometimes. We are now here in sobriety-ville living the good (sober) life.
Glad to hear.
This: “I began to notice the parts of life I had rushed through before.” YES! Thank you Sari & Joan for this interview! The song, The Ride has been on my phone for decades now. I love this series so much. It has officially entered my imaginary interview series that started with me paneling on Carson, then Letterman, then Maron and now, finally, a woman! I answer the questions and learn plenty about myself…that I still want attention is one!
KCB, Joan. Love your story. 🙏🏾🫶🏽
❤️❤️❤️