Janis Joplin Won Art Contest In High School
Regardless of what’s been said by Janis about her high school days, Janis Joplin was quite active in several clubs. Janis was in the Art Club, the Slide Rule Club, the Future Teachers of America, Future Nurses of America and the Girls Recreation Association. She also got the “B” average award. That’s the one I wanted! I always got the “C” average award.
Thomas Jefferson High School. 1960.
Janis even won an art contest during her senior year in high school. I wonder which piece is hers? She did not pose for the Art Club group photo during her senior year.
They spelled her name wrong, and they also spelled Foley’s wrong!
Wikipedia had this to say about her need for attention, her outcast mentality and her love for black blues music:
The Joplins felt that Janis always needed more attention than their other children, with her mother stating, “She was unhappy and unsatisfied without [receiving a lot of attention]. The normal rapport wasn’t adequate.” As a teenager, she befriended a group of outcasts, one of whom had albums by African-American blues artists Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey and Lead Belly, whom Joplin later credited with influencing her decision to become a singer. She began singing in the local choirand expanded her listening to blues singers such as Odetta, Billie Holiday and Big Mama Thornton.Primarily a painter while still in school, she first began singing blues and folk music with friends. While at Thomas Jefferson High School, she stated that she was mostly shunned. Joplin was quoted as saying, “I was a misfit. I read, I painted, I didn’t hate niggers.”
Sounds pretty stupid.
If you have not seen the video where Janis goes back to her 10 year high school reunion, then you’re missing out. Everyone was so nice, that I think she felt bad about the way she felt about them and well, whatever… people change. Janis always was in need of attention, even her mom said so. Janis was not able to truly shine and find her way until she got the hell out of Port Arthur.
scabiesoftherat 11:36 pm on September 24, 2013 Permalink |
a slave sale in high school was when people would put themselves up for auction for fundraisers. They would then be bid on and the slave would have to do what the master said,…within reason, of course. Like carry books, go get them thier lunch so they wouldn’t have to wait in line, make a jock dress in a cheerleader outfit. etc, etc…that sort of nonsense. It was still en vogue in the 80’s.
Of course, if you try that nowadays, Eric Holder and the justice department would be knocking on your door and charging you with a hate crime
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scabiesoftherat 11:44 pm on September 24, 2013 Permalink |
I saw a display on Janis at a museum once. It had all her handwritten letters to her family laid out to be read. From what I remember, she was quite close with her kin. Never really lamenting anything major and always asking about various members of the family and how they were doing, as if she was just a kid in college writing home. That always stuck with me for some reason. I mean, she just sounded like a nice Republican girl. Like Julie Nixon.
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