Just Kids

“This month, we are doing something a little different… our September Monthly Read is the memoir Just Kids by Patti Smith. Patti is an absolute rock and roll icon and a personal hero of mine so I am beyond excited to dive into this book. 

“It’s hard to define Patti – she is a singer, a songwriter, a poet, a painter and, of course, an author. It’s safe to say that we get something of all of these personas through this beautiful book. Prior to being at the heart of the New York City punk scene, Patti was pushing boundaries in the art world with her lover and best friend, the controversial photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. Their enduring love story – which navigates both romantic and platonic love – forms the warm heart of this book and along the way, we meet artists and musicians such as Andy Warhol and Janis Joplin, literary giants including William Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, to say nothing of the drag queens and socialites that pass through the doors of the Chelsea Hotel. 

“I’d have loved to be part of such a cool era. Patti gives us the next best thing – possibly the most spellbinding account of New York in the ’70s ever written. As we witness the ascent of two legendary artists, both Robert and Patti, it’s clear that her respect and love for artistry never dims” – Dua Lipa

Available on Bookshop.org, Waterstones and Barnes & Noble