JUST KIDS by PATTI SMITH #FridayReview

Patti Smith’s book serves as a salute to New York City during the sixties and seventies. As an emerging artist, she once questioned the point of creating art, thinking it seemed indulgent to add to the glut unless one offered illumination. 

I didn’t realize the story of Patti Smith’s life would entertain me from cover to cover, taking my emotions on a roller coaster ride that I prayed would not end too soon. Some people sample life, either skimming the cream off the top or barely dipping a finger into the main course. Patti Smith and her everything-friend, Robert Mapplethorpe, not only dove in head first, they barely surfaced long enough for the next breath of NYC air. 

I wouldn’t recommend everyone aspire to live this hectic pace, but I do suggest you read for enjoyment how diplomatically Patti tells her story. Inspiration oozes from every page, enough to make you want to accomplish at least one of those goals you set in January. A book that can do that deserves 5 stars. 

Rags to Riches

A rags-to-riches success story that shows all the kinks and hard work to prove it was well-earned is a rare find. Written without blinders, no punches pulled, Patti Smith tells her story the way she lived life, straightforward with no window dressing. 

It took twenty years after Robert’s death for Patti to tell this story in print. Considering the raw emotions involved in reliving such a story, another person might have chosen not to proceed. But, as she states in the book, she made a promise. 

Patti Smith, writer, performer, visual artist, gained recognition in the 70s for her “revolutionary mergence of poetry and rock.” Among her many achievements, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007.

 

Next up for review:

Flash and Bones by Kathy Reichs