How Should I Cast My Soul? Patti Smith’s Intimate New Memoir
Patti Smith’s acclaimed memoir Just Kids was voted one of the best books of the 21st century. Her latest memoir, Bread of Angels, spans her entire life, exploring themes of deep love, profound loss, and creative rebirth.
A Memoir Marked by Significant Dates
Bread of Angels was released on a meaningful date for Smith. November 4, 1946, marked the birth of her artistic soulmate and first true love, the late photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. Exactly 48 years later, on the same day, her beloved husband and fellow musician Fred “Sonic” Smith died of a heart attack. It is fitting that this deeply personal and comprehensive work — a decade in the making — was published nearly 50 years after her debut album, Horses, first came out.
“The hourglass overturns. Each grain a word that erupts into a thousand more, the first and last moments of every living thing.”
Profound Life Writing and Artistic Reflection
Smith’s writing, much like her poetry, is deeply illuminating. In Just Kids, she vividly recounts her extraordinary relationship with Mapplethorpe as they forged their artistic careers in 1970s New York. Her other works, M Train and Year of the Monkey, reveal her spiritual perspective and reflections on the passage of time during her travels.
Her memoir Devotion examines writing as a form of activism, a way to resist being overshadowed by others' efforts.
Summary
Patti Smith’s Bread of Angels offers a heartfelt, profound journey through love, loss, and creative growth, capturing a lifelong quest for self-discovery.
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