Chris Abrahamsen
Assistant DirectorRECENT STORIES ON KPBS
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President Trump is the first U.S. president in 116 years that the NAACP hasn't invited to the annual convention. The group says Trump is attacking democracy and civil rights. -
Friday, June 20, 2025 at 8 p.m. on KPBS TV / PBS app. Discover the life of singer-songwriter Janis Ian and how she rose as a folk icon and gay rights advocate. She broke ground with "Society's Child" (1966), a bold take on interracial love, and "At Seventeen" (1975), a searing anthem about bullying. -
Janis Ian wrote “At Seventeen” about the “pain of adolescence” and not fitting in, but the themes of the song spoke to audiences of all kinds and had a universal relevance. The song later won the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
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Janis Ian wrote “At Seventeen” about the “pain of adolescence” and not fitting in, but the themes of the song spoke to audiences of all kinds and had a universal relevance. The song later won the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
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Janis Ian was inspired to write “Society’s Child” after observing an interracial couple on her school bus. Ian wrote the song at just 14 years old, imagining the societal pressures the couple may have been under.
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Discover the life of singer-songwriter Janis Ian and how she rose as a folk icon and gay rights advocate. She broke ground with “Society’s Child” (1966), a bold take on interracial love, and “At Seventeen” (1975), a searing anthem about bullying.
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