Member-only story
Judy Collins: My Lady of Stained Glass
A Taliswoman Short
Sep 17, 2022
Judy Collins has been one of my Taliswomen for decades.
When I was little, my mom often let me choose the family’s album of the month from the club. That meant we had lots of albums featuring interesting-looking women.
On Colors of the Day, the flute-like voice of Judy Collins captivated me, but the lyrics dug grooves in my brain. Years later I discovered that it was Joni Mitchell who’d written “Both Sides Now.” Judy also sang Leonard Cohen’s “Suzanne” and I wept, even at 9, at the idea of flowers leaning out for love.
Though those songs were written by others, for me they’ll always be tinted by her vocal interpretation. Her voice was the cathedral window through which their light first touched me.
