Why Patti Smith Matters

pick

Caryn Rose is a long time fan of Patti Smith, and much of the book is informed by her personal relationship to Smith's work, and I liked that. Rose says that this isn't a biography - which, in that case, it does a good job of imitating - nor a hagiography - which it isn't, as Rose has criticisms about Smith's use of the n-word and her eschewing of the label "feminist", artistic choices which, Rose grants, Patti stands firmly behind. Loved it 4.5⭐

TrishB I think we can have heroes and know their flaws. We don‘t have to agree with everything they think. (There are boundaries I would debate but I still listen to The Smiths and sadly accept that Morrissey is an arse now). 2y

Bookwomble @TrishB Agreed 😊 This is a personal take on Patti, but it's objective enough not to be a puff-piece. And I also agree about The Smiths and Morrissey. Apparently when asked if The Smiths might reform, Johnny Marr said perhaps, with Nigel Farage on guitar! 🐖🎸 2y

AmyG @Bookwomble HA! 2y

28 likes3 comments

Bookwomble

Why Patti Smith Matters | Caryn Rose

Hold up, wait a minute! Patti recorded an experimental ambient tribute album to Nico, including covers of Nico's songs!?! 🤯

Kerrching! 👛💸 Album ordered!
Listened to some of the tracks online, and it's beautifully atmospheric. Patti's voice really suits this music.

AllDebooks Can highly recommend, very atmospheric prose

Year of the Monkey

Bookwomble @AllDebooks I loved it, too. In fact, looking back at my posts for that book, I see that my review was confined to the rather gushing, "I'm in love with this book ❤?❤". ? 2y

AllDebooks @Bookwomble that did make me lol 😆 😂 2y

Bookwomble @AllDebooks 😉 2y

29 likes4 comments

Bookwomble

Why Patti Smith Matters | Caryn Rose

"Easter became controversial over the fact that Smith's uplifted arms displayed her unshaven underarm hair.
It is quite possibly the dumbest fucking thing that, in writing a book about one of our greatest artists, I have to spend a couple of paragraphs talking about the fact that one of the major issues surrounding one of her best and biggest-selling albums is that she did not choose to comply with patriarchal beauty standards and remove hair...

Bookwomble ... from a part of her body that American society has declared should be hairless for women." Is it weird that even today it would still be controversial and noteworthy if a female celebrity showed underarm hair? (Yes, it is weird.) 2y

TrishB It‘s weird and annoying. Siouxsie got the same for the Dear Prudence video. 2y

BarbaraBB It‘s super annoying. 2y

See All 14 Comments

Bookwomble @TrishB According to QI, women shaving was a marketing ploy by Gillette in the late 19th century USA when they realised they were missing 50% of their potential sales. They lied about it being a sophisticated European fashion. "Hey, let's undermine women's self-esteem for profit!" 2y

Bookwomble @TrishB Patti Smith and Siouxie Sioux would be quite the duo! 2y

Bookwomble @BarbaraBB it's bizarre when you think about it (as a man, this is a matter of occasional thought rather than a daily lived reality). 2y

TrishB My response, as always, it‘s capitalism, greed and profit! They‘d be an awesome pair ❤️ 2y

rwmg When I first came to Indonesia I was surprised that the women I was teaching (mainly in their 40s I would guess) had hairy legs - in fact before then I was only dimly aware that women HAD leg hair, let alone shaved it. 2y

vivastory Chiming in that it is both very weird AND obnoxious. People need to mind their own GD business. 2y

Bookwomble @rwmg It's interesting to recognise our unquestioned assumptions. Seeing Patti give evidence of female body hair as a youth was certainly a surprise to me as, like you, the social norm I'd been given was of an assumed hairlessness. Which, without getting too explicit, is in many ways an even more pronounced issue today. 2y

Bookwomble @vivastory Feel free to chime 🕰️😊 2y

The_Book_Ninja I remember when I was a kid, the pop world almost imploded when Nena casually showed us her armpit hair. 2y

Bookwomble @The_Book_Ninja I think there's a complex cultural reaction going on, compounded of disgust, erotic charge and prurience, none of which seems healthy in the ongoing context of objectifying and policing women's bodies. 2y

Bookwomble #BooksAndMusic 2y

29 likes14 comments

Bookwomble

Why Patti Smith Matters | Caryn Rose

"It is December 31, 2008, and Patti Smith and her band are ringing in the New Year at the Bowery Ballroom over a three-night stand that had become a grand New York City tradition starting in 1998."
#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl

23 likes

Bookwomble

Why Patti Smith Matters | Caryn Rose

"For those of us who felt more comfortable around books than people, Smith made literature and reading not just desirable, but also implicit."

vivastory 💙 2y

AllDebooks Oooh I'm gonna seek this out. Love PS and her writing 2y

Bookwomble @AllDebooks I'm 59 pages in, and it's good so far 😊 2y

31 likes1 stack add3 comments

Bookwomble

Why Patti Smith Matters | Caryn Rose

1043 books on my tbr - in my house! - and I was struggling with what to read next! 🙄 Then I remembered I had this book, and it clicked into place 😅
Playlist is a no-brainer. I do feel I have significant gaps in my Patti Smith album collection, though 🤔💭💿💸
#BooksAndMusic

vivastory I received Horses as a gift one X-mas when I was in HS & it was a complete gamechanger. Still one of my favorites. 2y

Bookwomble @vivastory If you're tuned in, certain music can be life defining, yes? ? I've listened to this album loads and hum along, but sitting with it more mindfully reminds me why I have it in the first place. Easter is Patti's album that probably means the most to me, but the song "Paths That Cross" from "Dream of Life" may be one I'll pick for my funeral service (sorry to go a bit dark ?). 2y

vivastory Books are my favorite art form, but music is definitely second place for me. Easter is another favorite, for sure. Thanks for the reminder about Dream of Life. I haven't listened to that one nearly enough. 2y

See All 6 Comments

Bookwomble @vivastory Not sure 8if get along easily without either. They're often connected for me. 2y

vivastory That's true. Same for movies for me (if to maybe a slightly lesser degree) 2y

Bookwomble @vivastory Same - love movies and TV, but definitely behind books and music. 2y

30 likes1 stack add6 comments

Bookwomble

Why Patti Smith Matters | Caryn Rose

"My name is Michael, and I'm a bookaholic." #bookhaul
I mean, I really think I have a problem. Our last two house moves have been because we needed more space for my books, and my wife has, not unreasonably, said that this is no longer an option. I'm going to have to give serious thought and effort to downsizing my collection (is something I've been saying for 30 years ??).

The_Book_Ninja There are worse vices☺️ 2y

Bookwomble @The_Book_Ninja True, but I'm skating on thin ice, and even I'm starting to feel rather overrun at the moment 🙃 2y

Leftcoastzen The thing that bugs me about downsizing, though I‘m realizing I need to do it too , titles don‘t have to be old, rare , & expensive to be difficult to find . 2y

See All 7 Comments

Bookwomble @Leftcoastzen I'm trying to frame it as "curating" my collection, but I'm not doing a good job of fooling myself! I totally get what you say - interesting is more important to me than rare or expensive. I do have a soft spot for old, though ??? 2y

Leftcoastzen I like the old ones too! Or book plates or ….😬😂 2y

Bookwomble @Leftcoastzen And, and, and ... 😄 2y

LeahBergen Lovely! 👏 2y

31 likes1 stack add7 comments

Welcome to Litsy!

Trending Hashtags

Trending Books