Why Patti Smith Matters
Description
Patti Smith arrived in New York City at the end of the Age of Aquarius in search of work and purpose. What she found--what she fostered--was a cultural revolution. Through her poetry, her songs, her unapologetic vocal power, and her very presence as a woman fronting a rock band, she kicked open a door that countless others walked through. No other musician has better embodied the "nothing-to-hide" rawness of punk, nor has any other done more to nurture a place in society for misfits of every stripe.
Why Patti Smith Matters is the first book about the iconic artist written by a woman. The veteran music journalist Caryn Rose contextualizes Smith's creative work, her influence, and her wide-ranging and still-evolving impact on rock and roll, visual art, and the written word. Rose goes deep into Smith's oeuvre, from her first album, Horses, to acclaimed memoirs operating at a surprising remove from her music. The portrait of a ceaseless inventor, Why Patti Smith Matters rescues punk's poet laureate from "strong woman" clichés. Of course Smith is strong. She is also a nuanced thinker. A maker of beautiful and challenging things. A transformative artist who has not simply entertained but also empowered millions.
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About the Author
Caryn Rose is a longtime music journalist whose work has appeared in Pitchfork, MTV News, Salon, Billboard, the Village Voice, Vulture, and the Guardian. Her essay on Maybelle Carter was included in Woman Walk the Line.
Reviews
If you're looking for a distillation of Smith's importance and influence, there are few writers who seem better-suited than Caryn Rose, making this new book a perfect blend of author and subject.-- "Vol. 1 Brooklyn" (5/10/2022 12:00:00 AM)
[Rose's] analytical approach to research, along with her undying fandom...make her the perfect person to unpack Smith's music and poetry in an engaging work that is a scholarly page-turner.-- "Rebellious Magazine" (5/24/2022 12:00:00 AM)
