Friday, November 19, 2010

Patti Smith: Just Kids

The National Book Awards have an intriguing nonfiction pick for their 2010 awards: Patti Smith's "Just Kids".

Anyone read it?

7 comments:

  1. I haven't read this, but I'd like to some day. NY artists in the late-seventies/early eighties produced a lot of great stuff, much like now I suppose (not always easy to spot the legends as they're unfolding!) Jon could prolly tell us more about this time. I think he was in NYC during the eighties?

    Hopefully, the book award will lead to huge sales and generate a lot of money for her. I'm not a huge fan but I've always thought her pretty cool.

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  2. I'm so happy she got it. She was really grateful, in tears when she accepted it. Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe hit NY in nthe late 60's/early 70's (haven't read the book). It's funny what time does. I first saw Patti Smith in 1976 at CBGBs. I first heard her 1975 when Horses came out. That whole thing of NY in the late 70s was an outgrowth of the 60s and early 70s Warhol/ Velvet Underground business, and the NY Dolls etc. The roots are deep. By the 80s that was all dead and gone, and something different was happening, something more Mapplethorpe than Patti Smith. In the 80s rock'n'roll in NYC was dead and gone, but art and performance art thrived. Patti Smith began as a poet, and her poetry would never have won any kind of award. her music has been honored of course, but I am so happy that Patti Smith has been recognized as a writer. It was as a writer that i learned shit from Patti Smith, as much as as a musician and personality. Patti Smith is a generous, true artist and not afraid to be unsophisticated in her love of art and being an artist. Patti Smith doesn't have a cynical bone in her body.

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  3. You saw Patti Smith at CBGB's in '76? Wow. Who else did you see there?

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  4. television, talking heads, ramones, john cale, levi and the rockettes, jane county, the dead boys, the mumps, brian stetzers first band, the bloodless pharoes, tons of people, people no one remembers...i was in high school. we'd take the train in from the suberbs (2 bucks each way) and see whatever was there.funny thing is in the very earlly days you had to reserve a table and there was a two drink minimum. they served chili. max's was great too. through the very early eighties there were a hlaf dozen nightclubs with great music. we weren't the only 16 year olds there either! there was a band, The Blessed....everyone in it was 14.

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  5. Wow. We must have talked about all this at some point, no? Would be weird if we hadn't....embarrassing if I've simply forgotten. I don't suppose at the time you realized how you were at the epicenter of a legend in the making....

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  6. Speakin' of CBGB & books, y'all familiar w/ Danzig's library?

    For some reason, this totally reminds me of Mr. Rodgers...

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  7. So, he just sits around the library shirtless, in his leather pants?

    Weird story about Jesus killing a playmate....

    Finally, silly as they are, these videos have cracked me up for years

    Danzig/Shakira mashup

    Danzig shopping list

    Enjoy!

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