Patti Smith: Just Kids

[justaguy]

Smith writes an intimate portrait of herself and Robert Mapplethorpe. I'm only a quarter of the way through it, but already I've gotten a lot of insight into Mapplethorpe's creative process and what he wanted to achieve as well as his sexuality. For those of you familiar with Patti Smith's music, I'm gotten bits and pieces of autobiographical information that I didn't know was in the lyrics. IMO it's an excellent read.

[Guest greatness]

Thanks for sharing it.~~ Hugs~

Smith writes an intimate portrait of herself and Robert Mapplethorpe. I'm only a quarter of the way through it, but already I've gotten a lot of insight into Mapplethorpe's creative process and what he wanted to achieve as well as his sexuality. For those of you familiar with Patti Smith's music, I'm gotten bits and pieces of autobiographical information that I didn't know was in the lyrics. IMO it's an excellent read.

[+ Charlie]

I read the book last month, and was impressed with her writing; it won the National Book Award for non-fiction. We lived in the same neighborhood in the late 60s/early 70s, ate at the same cheap restaurants, patronized the same local stores, etc., so it brought back many memories. We probably encountered one another often in passing, but she and Mapplethorpe were unknowns at the time, so I wouldn't have recognized them. I found the story of their relationship really sweet, and of his sexual development very believable.

[EZEtoGRU]

I was looking at the book at an airport bookshop recently. Didn't buy it but found the flip through it quite interesting. I think I will get it for my travels next week.

 

I met Patti Smith after she had moved to Detroit...I guess it was in 1979/1980. She had an account at the bank I worked in at the time. I had seen her in concert in Detroit and taken photos. She signed one for me one day when she was in to make a deposit. Totally down to earth. I still have the photo with her signature!

[justaguy]

Charlie, wow. I'd love for you to take me on a tour. Of course I have an idealized/romanticized notion of the time. I was 10 yrs. too young so what I saw was a freedom I wanted but didn't have any way of accessing.

[Ivan]

Smith writes an intimate portrait of herself and Robert Mapplethorpe. I'm only a quarter of the way through it, but already I've gotten a lot of insight into Mapplethorpe's creative process and what he wanted to achieve as well as his sexuality. For those of you familiar with Patti Smith's music, I'm gotten bits and pieces of autobiographical information that I didn't know was in the lyrics. IMO it's an excellent read.

 

She did great interviews when the book was published -- I heard her on Charlie Rose http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/11409 and NPR http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122582840 and http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122722618 -- all three interviews seem to be available now online if you want to hear her talk about her life.

[Guest verymarried]

By the way, Patti Smith is a very good woman too. She recently flew all the way to Arkansas to do a benefit with Johnny Depp and Dhani Harrison and other stars, for the "West Memphis Three", three teens convicted (one to die by lethal injection) for the murder 17 years ago for killing three little boys despite not a shred of evidence and because the rednecks called them "satanists" due to their listening to heavy metal music. Patti belted out and was the centerpiece of the finale. The book was wonderful also. I wanted to read more of Robert's S&M period, but her descriptions of his life with her as that developed, was very moving. Its portrayal of such legendary places as the Chelsea Hotel and Max's Kansas City give a strong historical touch to the book. I stopped in the Chelsea recently and 40 years later it probably still looks about the same and you can picture her descriptions.

[Rod Hagen]

I think the structure is a mess, she VAULTS through the final years, the excuse I suppose being they were no longer "Just Kids". However, very enjoyable read. Thank you Ivan for the interviews.

[+ Charlie]

I think she does that also because they weren't together very much in the later years, having gone on very different paths.

[justaguy]

Ivan, thanks a bunch for these.

[Ivan]

I think she does that also because they weren't together very much in the later years, having gone on very different paths.

If I remember correctly, I thiink she wrote the memoir because she had promised Robert she would write about their time together, and he had encouraged her to do it -- and it took her until recent years to feel ready.

 

verymarried, through the years Smith has been active in fundraisers and causes she believes in, both political and non-political ones -- and not in a showy way with publicists, she just supports what she believes in.