WRITE to the Heart of the Matter: A Memoir of Art and Creation

Just Kids
by Patti Smith

I love to read memoirs, biographies, and, of course, family histories.  I am irresistibly drawn to hear each person's story.  I share in their struggles, their day to day activities and enjoy seeing how they overcome their obstacles.  Of course it is easier when you know their life will be a great success, especially since they have written a book about it.

When I decided to read, or rather listen to, Patti Smith's book "Just Kids," I knew nothing of her life's struggles and successes.  I knew she was a songwriter/musician. I never listened to her music. If you had asked me the title of one of her songs, I wouldn't have been able to name one. As I started her book, I did not know what to expect.

I discovered Patti Smith is brutally honest.  About her life, her loves and her choices.  I also would have never guessed that this rock star was so well read. Now I know she is truly a poet and performer. What I discovered about her put me in awe of her accomplishments.

Patti's book tells of her life, focusing on a story of love and creativity. While  I knew little about her, I knew absolutely nothing about the other half of the "Just Kids" title, Robert Maplethorpe.  Robert and Patti journeyed through life creating art, being art and living art.  They struggled together, lived together and developed their talents in parallel careers. Their dedication to art and to each other outlasted their time together. As I said, it is a story of love, but that does not make it a love story, at least not in the conventional sense.

I was familiar with the Chelsea Hotel, and it turns out Patti lived there for years. The parade of celebrities who passed through this hotel made it the epicenter of Patti's link to the artistic world she so desperately sought after for years. From Jimi Hendrix to Janis Joplin and Grace Slick, many of the people who frequented the Chelsea Hotel also influenced Patti and helped her along the way. 

Struggles were plenty. And, Robert's creations are not a match for my artistic taste. There are times I wanted to yell at him to stop and change his direction, but there was no going back for him. Frustrating, just like real life. Yet, I could not stop listening to the book  What makes this story impossible to walk away from? The three human circumstances which drew me into the vortex are:

1. How they bonded and lived for art and, in turn, inspired each other to live their dream.
2. How they grew their art and developed themselves into artists. 
3. How they tried and continued and failed and tried and continued again and again before any true success came their way.

I still hear their voices clearly in my mind. Patti's powerful yet simple words haunt and hang in the air. The book made me believe I was there and saw it all happen. They were "Just Kids" and I am grateful Patti shared her and Robert's story with the world. Now I am going to listen to her music.