Visions of Joanna Newsom by Editor:Brad Buchanan (2010-05-03)

The singer-songwriter, harpist, and composer Joanna Newsom can't help being controversial. No other artist in recent years has evoked such a range of responses, both positive and negative. Yet her distinctive, often jarring voice and ambitious musical sensibility have attracted a worldwide following whose devotion is both intense and intellectually engaged. Visions of Joanna Newsom--a selection of personal, scholarly, poetic, and artistic responses to her work--reflects this obsession. It is a tribute to a unique talent, but also a testament to the deep reflections and powerful emotions her followers and critics have experienced while under her spell.