Patti Smith
Patti Smith is an iconic musician, writer, and visual artist who has made her mark on American culture since the 1970s. From her early days as a poet and singer-songwriter in NYC to becoming a National Book Award winning author and an honoree of the National Book Foundation’s Medal of Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, Smith’s work is infused with passion and emotion.
As an author, Smith explores themes such as identity, relationship, death and spirituality through personal anecdote, references to literature and culture, and the power of words. Her signature style has been described as written collages that speak to her ‘Unpredictable, startling and beautiful’ personal experience. Her works are infused with affirmation and hope and draw on her deep belief in the power of words and music to express what is necessary and ‘no language can hold.’
Smith first gained recognition for her 1975 debut album Horses, with which she introduced a visionary approach to punk rock and alternative music. But Smith had long been a passion poet before emerging as a singer, and her first published work ‘Seventh Heaven’ was written at age 14 and sold to a small literary magazine. Joining forces with experienced musicians such as guitarist Lenny Kaye, Smith formed a successful music career with Horses, and throughout the 70s, 80s, and 90s she released several critically acclaimed albums while maintaining her literary career.
In 2010, Smith started writing her first novel Whip Hand, drawing once again on her dual perspectives and deep exploration of the human experience. The novel follows a young girl living in a small town in Pennsylvania in the 1970s as she comes of age under the guidance of her eccentric grandmother. Smith draws on her own life experiences, providing an accessible and profound exploration of the complexity of family relationships, identity, and freedom.
In 2010, Smith also released her critically acclaimed memoir Just Kids, which was awarded the National Book Award for Nonfiction. Through Just Kids, Smith provides a reflective account of her deep and intimate relationship with famed photographer Robert Mapplethorpe during the formation of the New York punk scene. Just Kids offers a vivid account of Smith and Mapplethorpe's stirring journey of love and art in the fierce, creative NYC of the late 1960s and offers a moving portrait of their ‘unlikely’ friendship.
Smith also released two books in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission, M Train and Year of the Monkey. M Train features Smith’s renowned reflective style as she recounts her melancholy adventures over 18 months and Year of the Monkey documents Smith’s travels in 2019. Both works combine adventurous narrative, reflection and exploration of identity, death, and mortality.
As one of the most accomplished and iconic authors of her generation, Patti Smith’s unique style and exploration of the human experience has earned her the title of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and multiple other accolades. Smith is an insatiable traveler, lover of literature, and passionate artist whose words, music, and performance have shaped and resonated throughout the decades.
