R E A D: Patti’s Last Letter to Robert xx

Letters of Note posted this beautiful love letter from Patti Smith to Robert Maplethorpe, sourced from my favorite read.  Enjoy xxxxx *image courtesy of Interview xx

R E A D: Patti Smith’s ‘Just Kids’

“And please publishers, there’s nothing more beautiful than the book- the paper, the font, the cloth- please no matter how we advance technologically please never abandon the book.  There is nothing in our material world more beautiful than the book.” - Patti Smith as she accepted The National Book Award for her first book of prose, ‘Just Kids’

I absolutely adore this book from the lyrical mind of Patti Smith.  It’s a fascinating memoir from her arrival in New York as a young spirit to finding her path in the rock movement, while intimately documenting details of her bohemian love story with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe.  Her writing is poetic, riddled with references from art and NY culture, and addictive- I could not put it down.

I had the pleasure of seeing Patti Smith and her band perform an intimate set of music and readings from this book at a small gathering in the ballroom of the now defunct Chelsea Hotel top of this year.  What a special treat to witness this New York legend up close and personal and to later have her honest, deep voice linger in my head as I swept through the pages of ‘Just Kids,’ which I happened to be reading at the time.  

I love you, Patti, I love you, New York xx