Patti and Robert

I'm currently completely absorbed in the book Just Kids, written by Patti Smith, an autobiography of her youth.

It describes her moving from New Jersey to Brooklyn when she was 18. The book follows her adventures of growing up with Robert Mapplethorpe, with all the challenges they face and tales of the people they meet along the way.

It's so interesting to read about what Brooklyn and Manhatten was like in the 60s and 70s. So much seems to happen in a short amount of time in their lives, and its amazing to read about the connection Patti and Robert have, although ultimately they do not have a relationship together, what both of them were telling each other to do creatively all along, ended up to be the things which gave them their success.

Since reading this book, I've been trying to understand Patti and Robert more by reading the novels and poems which inspired them in these times, I'm started this with reading some poems by Henry James, William Blake, and Jean Genet - a lovely person recently found me a books by Genet, Lady of the Flowers and Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell.

I'm going to be posting more about Patti and Robert so watch this space.

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