Patti Smith is a pioneer punk musician, singer, writer, performer, poet and a true original. Patti's most recently published works have been memoirs, including the acclaimed
Just Kids which focused on her early days as an artist in New York and her relationship with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. Her newest book gives a glimpse into her world, with a photo and reflection for every day of the year.
A Book of Days by Patti Smith
Patti has been a longtime proponent of polaroid pictures, the irony being that polaroid cameras are making something of a comeback, but newer models are a pale imitation to the one Patti wields on the cover of this book.
Fabio Venni from Florence, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
Some of the pictures are really on point but some appear blurry and flat. Patti was encouraged by her daughter to start putting her daily photo and reflections onto the
Instagram platform, which she embraced and continues to do so. You can find her here: @thisispattismith The quality of the photography has never been what Patti focuses on. As with most artists, her fascinations change frequently and this book is a chance to document these. Some of her observations and interests include literature, poetry, family, found objects, and remembrances. It is an eclectic collection of a vagabond soul who has found a new way to express her thoughts and connect with people via publishing her images and writing.
Greenhill90, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
The book is surprisingly heavy, so not something that you keep in your pocket. Perhaps a pocket format book could be an option for a future project. Readers can read a page for every day of the year or browse at will as I chose to do. It is certainly a handsomely formatted book and one to treasure.
