The last time we heard from Richard he told us: Undoubtedly someone has told you, but the hilarious and vastly entertaining novel Apprentice to the Flower Poet Z, by Debra Weinstein (Random House, 2004) has a riff on Joni that goes on for more pages than I care to type--unless someone else hasn't noticed:
Then Claire says, "Braun is teaching Joni Mitchell, the Troubador Poet that Saturday afternoon. It is so anti-Mother, don't you think?"
"Anti-Mother?"
"It's so not her generation. . . "
Later:
Claire goes to the stereo, finds an album, removes it from its cardboard jacket, and holds it along its edges. "This is poetry."
Woke up, it was a Chelsea morning,
and the first thing that I heard . . .
Joni's voice is young and high. She reminds me of Snow White singing to the birds in the Disney movie. Claire changes the record. Now Joni's singing Rainy Night House. Her voice is dark, almost melancholy.
She's a complicated woman.
We listen for awhile, then Claire says, "What's wrong with this picture, Annabelle?"
I don't know.
"No weed."
There's more later including a quotation from People's Parties. All in the chapter called Weed, pp.180-191.
Now I have to go finish the last few pages of this very funny book.

(Contributed by Richard Flynn)