Patti Smith

November 1, 2014
Quintessential female punk rocker. Poet. Feminist hero. And a National Book Award winner for her memoir, Just Kids (2010), Patti Smith grew up as a tomboy with a lyrical bent, discovered rock and roll at age seven when she first saw Little Richard, and has used religionher mother was a Jehovah's Witness, her father an ardent but open-minded atheistas her most fundamental foundation. Wendell points out that her musical influences range from the obvious (Dylan) to the surprising (Hank Williams). He chronicles her life as she moves from New Jersey to New York, explores her friendship with the photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, examines the impact living at the infamous Chelsea Hotel had on her artistic evolution, and looks at her early performances on the New York underground scene, where she rubbed shoulders with everyone from Andy Warhol to Lou Reed. He also offers critical observations on her recordings, from her critically acclaimed first album, Horses, onward. An excellent look at a premiere, multitalented artist.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)