by Ani DiFranco
First published 2019
Ani DiFranco opens her life story with the raw honesty that has defined her career. The celebrated musician and activist traces her path from sleeping in a Buffalo bus station as an emancipated teenager to building her own record label by age thirty. DiFranco chronicles her deliberate rejection of major recording contracts, choosing instead to maintain complete artistic control through her company Righteous Babe Records. She details her early performances at small venues and festivals, the release of her debut album at eighteen, and her unwavering commitment to independence in an industry built on compromise. The memoir weaves together her musical evolution with her political awakening, exploring how her feminist beliefs and social activism shaped both her art and business decisions. DiFranco writes with humor and candor about the challenges of staying true to her values while building a sustainable career. Her story demonstrates how one artist carved out space for authentic expression by refusing to follow conventional paths.
Genres: autobiography, biography-memoir, music, activism
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: coming-of-age, found-family
Setting: Buffalo
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
320 pages · Hardcover · Viking