By Patti Smith
Ecco | 304pgs
Release Date: January 19, 2010

Patti Smith, the “Godmother of Punk”, details her path to fame and her enduring relationship with Robert Mapplethorpe in Just Kids. Before the musical and artistic success, the pair met as young drifters in New York City, during the social upheavals of the late ’60′s. They made a pact to care for each other, in good times and bad, and foster each other’s dreams. Smith’s poetic prose tells of their days living at the Hotel Chelsea, long nights at Max’s Kansas City, and time spent with friends Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and William Burroughs. As they both gained celebrity, Smith for her music and poetry, and Mapplethorpe for his provocative photography, their bond strengthened. What started out as a youthful romance grew into a deep, lasting friendship that would be a source of support and inspiration throughout the artists’ lives.

Smith and Mapplethorpe remained close until he died of AIDS in 1989. In essence, Just Kids is a love letter to to an old friend. Smith pays an artful, tender tribute to the man who helped shape her life. Early editorial reviews have given Smith’s memoir high praise. Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly finds the book to be “a captivating memoir…a poignant requiem…and a radiant celebration of life.”