Juno-award winning singer/songwriter talks career, troubled childhood, and family relations
“Something good can come from something bad.”
That was the mantra Jann Arden repeated during her public talk at War Memorial Hall on Saturday, Sept. 8. Co-presented by the Eden Mills’ Writers Festival and the University of Guelph, Arden spoke about more than just her latest memoir, Feeding My Mother, which focuses on her experience taking care of her mother who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.
Arden started off the event with a reading from Feeding My Mother, choosing a chapter featuring humorous conversations between her and her mother. She advised audience members that the best way to not get frustrated while taking care of elders with Alzheimer’s disease is to not correct them when they sometimes get the facts wrong.
In addition to promoting her memoir, Arden also spoke about her music career and how her father’s alcoholism inadvertently led her to becoming a songwriter. At a young age she would sneak down to the basement of her home to be alone, where she found joy in learning how to play guitar and listening to records.
“I have a lot of regrets,” Arden said of her life as she neared the end of her speech, breaking into tears as she spoke about her relationships with her family members. At the conclusion of her talk, the sold-out crowd stood for a standing ovation.
Following that, host of the event and CEO of the Guelph Public Library, Steve Klein, conducted a short Q+A with Arden. Audience members were able to meet with Arden as she signed copies of her books following the presentation.
Featured photo by Karen K. Tran/The Ontarion