When singer, musician, and broadcast journalist Malka Marom had the opportunity to interview Joni Mitchell in 1973, she was eager to reconnect with the performer she’d first met late one night in 1966 at a Yorkville coffeehouse. More conversations followed over the next four decades of friendship, and it was only after Joni and Malka completed their most recent recorded interview, in 2012, that Malka discovered the heart of their discussions: the creative process.

In Joni Mitchell: In Her Own Words, Joni and Malka follow this thread through seven decades of life and art, discussing the influence of Joni’s childhood, love and loss, playing dives and huge festivals, acclaim and criticism, poverty and affluence, glamorous triumphs and tragic mistakes . . .

This riveting narrative, told in interviews, lyrics, paintings, and photographs, is shared in the hope of illuminating a timeless body of work and inspiring others.

Malka Marom's profile page

Malka Marom began her career as a folksinger, in the popular duo Malka & Joso, who were the first to bring world music to Canada. As a soloist, Marom has performed on stage, TV, and radio around the world. She is also known and respected as a radio broadcaster and documentary maker and is the author of the bestselling novel Sulha. Marom lives in Toronto, Ontario.

“Curiously, I find I admire Mitchell more and more as I get older (the opposite of my experience with most of her fellow ’70s singer-songwriters). Albums like ‘Hejira’ and ‘Blue’ now sound undeniably like great art, and don’t lean one bit on nostalgia to do so. But she’s always been an enigma to me, and I’m hoping this book will be full of quiet revelations.” — Kazuo Ishiguro, Nobel Prize-winning author of Never Let Me Go and The Remains of the Day, for the New York Times Book Review

“The book, which includes photographs and reproductions of Mitchell’s paintings, makes for a compelling narrative of the creative life and is recommended for both Mitchell fans and for music lovers.” — Publishers Weekly

“The gifted, adventurous musician talks as brilliantly as she writes and sings.” — Kirkus Reviews

“This valuable book not only portrays an enduring artist but also reflects several decades of changing societal and musical culture. It will appeal to a wide audience and should be a part of music collections in public or academic libraries.” — Library Journal

“In the rare interviews she gives, Joni Mitchell doesn’t hold back. This is even truer in Malka Marom’s new book about the musician’s life and creative process. Mitchell comes across as more candid and outspoken than usual, likely due to the fact that Marom is part of Mitchell’s inner circle of friends.” — Quill & Quire