How Should I Cast My Soul? Patti Smith’s Intimate New Memoir
Patti Smith’s memoir Bread of Angels was published on a deeply meaningful date. November 4 holds great significance in her life: it marks the birth of her first true love and artistic soulmate, the late photographer Robert Mapplethorpe (born 1946), and also the day her beloved husband and fellow musician Fred “Sonic” Smith died of a heart attack 48 years later.
This comprehensive work, crafted over a decade, arrives nearly 50 years after her debut album Horses was released. Smith begins by reflecting on time’s fragile nature:
“The hourglass overturns. Each grain a word that erupts into a thousand more, the first and last moments of every living thing.”
Life and Art Intertwined
Smith’s previous memoir, Just Kids, which was voted one of the best books of the 21st century by readers, captures her extraordinary bond with Mapplethorpe as they build their artistic careers in 1970s New York. Her poetic life writing remains profound and revealing.
Spiritual and Creative Reflections
Other works such as M Train and Year of the Monkey delve into her spirituality and creative mindset, exploring themes of time and transformation during her global travels.
The Call to Write
In Devotion, Smith discusses writing as an urgent call to action, a way to assert her voice rather than be overshadowed by the work of others.
Author’s summary: Patti Smith’s Bread of Angels reflects a lifelong journey of love, loss, and renewal, revealing the profound link between her art and soul.