Joan Baez : When You See My Mother, Ask Her to Dance

Joan Baez shares poems for or about her contemporaries (such as Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Judy Collins, and Jimi Hendrix), reflections from her childhood, personal thoughts, and cherished memories of her family, including pieces about her younger sister, singer-songwriter Mimi Fariña. Speaking to the people, places, and moments that have had the greatest impact on her art, this collection is an inspiring personal diary in the form of poetry.

While Baez has been writing poetry for decades, she’s never shared it publicly. Poems about her life, her family, about her passions for nature and art, have piled up in notebooks and on scraps of paper. Now, for the first time ever, her life is shared in verse, revealing pivotal life experiences that shaped an icon, offering a never-before-seen look into the reminiscences and musings of a great artist.

Like a late-night chat with someone you love, When You See My Mother, Ask Her to Dance connects fans to the real heart of who Joan Baez is as a person, as a daughter and sister, and as an artist who has inspired millions.

Baez will be joined on stage by journalist and radio host, Angie Coiro.

Note: there will not be a signing after the discussion.

Joan Baez is a dynamic force of nature. Her commitment to music and social activism has earned global recognition, ranging from induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, to the Ambassador of Conscience Award, Amnesty International’s highest honor. Retired from active performing since 2019, she has devoted much of her time to the “Mischief Makers” series of paintings, portraits that immortalize risk-taking visionaries she has known, who have brought about social change through history, from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Bob Dylan to the Dalai Lama and Patti Smith. In 2023, Baez appeared in the documentary Joan Baez I Am a Noise, which premiered at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival. That same year, Baez’s acclaimed book of drawings Am I Pretty When I Fly? was published by Godine.

Masks are required for everyone over the age of 2 years old and must be worn at all times in the venue, and throughout the duration of the event. Thank you for helping us do our part in keeping our community, authors, and staff safe and healthy.

Photo by Marina Chavez

Host or Publisher Kepler's Literary Foundation