The Cris Williamson Songbook for Guitar and Piano

I can remember when all I had was one little song of my own - and that had come right out of the blue when I was 16, and I seemingly had nothing whatsoever to do with the writing of it. When I really began to think of myself as an artist and a writer, I consciously struggled to find my style, the form for my own life comprehensions - an imaginative transformation of reality which is in no way passive, but is rather connected to a deep-seated sense of responsibility to help create a better world in which to live. As my personal concerns were inevitably pervaded by political realities, it was exactly this sense of responsibility which led me, and hopefully those who continued to attend my work, out of despair and self-pity into an abiding affirmation of life. Perhaps as I attempt to make the world more tolerable for myself, I can help make it more tolerable for others as well. These songs are like drawings on the cave-walls of my mind. It is you who have brought them to light by virtue of your wonderful appreciation. I thank all of you so much for helping me to have faith in the validity of my perceptions and experiences. You have helped me to be an artist. For me that means that I must live life in such a way that my writing comes from it, so that my work and my life are one and the same. (from the Introduction)