Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Just Kids

"I don't consider writing a quiet, closet act.
I consider it a real physical act.
When I'm home writing on the typewriter, I go crazy.
I move like a monkey.
I've wet myself, I've come in my pants writing."
--Patti Smith


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Patti Smith promised Robert Mapplethorpe that one day she would write the story of their life together, Just Kids is it. I've been wanting to blog about this for sometime because it's one of the best books I've read in a while. I always find Patti Smith's music confronting in the best kind of way, but her writing is different. There is a real humbleness to the way she tells this story. And a really beautiful humour and affection in the way that she talks about all the characters she and Robert were involved with in the art and music scene of New York during the 60's and 70's, when they lived their firstly as a couple and then as very best pals.

Patti Smith was a music journalist for the likes of Rolling Stone magazine and there is a really nice part in the book where she describes how she feels about music reviewing. She says that she was never really interested in critiquing bands but rather in making lesser known music known to a wider audience.

You can find more of Patti Smith's writing at http://www.oceanstar.com/patti/poetry.htm




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