365 Days of Books

My son has been reading Rock Memoirs lately and I was inspired to read Just Kids by Patti Smith. This is less a "Rock" biography or memoir than a reflection on and explanation of her move to NYC and relationship with Robert Mapplethorpe. It is a very intimate look back. There is no glossing over hunger, hustling, sacrificing food money for a bit to make art. If you thought that punk rock and punk art were shallow, read and see how Patti Smith studied the classics, thought deeply, and stumbled unplanned into music through poetry. Through the several relationships in the course of the book, Patti Smith measures time and passages through her life and love with Robert Mapplethorpe. The intersections and interdependency of their arts is amazing.