Wednesday, October 13, 2010

The Impossible Cool of Patti Smith

Patti_Smith_1
It's awards season for the books industry, and today the National Book Foundation announced its twenty finalists for the National Book Awards. Among those included in the non-fiction category is Patti Smith's autobiography "Just Kids," covering her years as muse to photographer Robert Mapplethorpe.


Reviewer Tom Nissley sums up "Just Kids" so beautifully:

"Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe weren't always famous, but they always thought they would be. They found each other, adrift but determined, on the streets of New York City in the late '60s and made a pact to keep each other afloat until they found their voices--or the world was ready to hear them.

"Mapplethorpe was quicker to find his metier, with a Polaroid and then a Hasselblad, but Smith was the first to fame, transformed, to her friend's delight, from a poet into a rock star. "

What is it about Patti Smith that makes her so compelling, like a young Mick Jagger?

(The National Book Award winners will be announced on Nov 17 in NYC.)

12 comments:

Molly McGonigle said...

This looks like such a rad book. And love that cover!

www.mollymcgon.blogspot.com

Kay said...

what an honor :) and happy ending, no?

Penney said...

You do such a fabulous job..
I would miss you so much. You have this great thing! Go for it !
xo, P

Nicole said...

She will always be cool...Honestly, I do try to forget that she is now married to John McEnroe...She was way cooler before that, I'm sure...

Hanna said...

amazing ;) Check out our new HotPicks Contest on http://www.stylight.com/Hotpicks/! Get your own Escapulario Bracelet and win a trip to Paris!

camille said...

Your blog is absolutely lovely. Off to read some more posts :) Paris in Pink

mkendall said...

I read that earlier this year and it was so good. Usually I don't like true stories, but this one was so interesting and compelling. Patti Smith is awesome.

Megan said...

On this recommendation, I'll be purchasing this to download to my Nook.

RMP said...

Mick never looked this good! ;)

Carole Poirot said...

Need to get it, need to read it...and then work on the "cool thing"...yeah right ;-) Love from London x

Giulia said...

One of the highlights of my summer was reading Patti's book. More later but I am blasting Because the Night (yay for Bruce, too:) in honor of your post. And because I was going to post one of my Black & White series on PS. But will wait.

cheers Tina...

xo

Bill said...

Love Patti..

Such a rock goddess and poet.
Thanks for posting.