How Should I Cast My Soul? Patti Smith’s Intimate New Memoir
Patti Smith’s new memoir, Bread of Angels, covers her entire life, exploring deep love, profound loss, and creative rebirth. It was released on a meaningful date: November 4, which marks the birth of her artistic soulmate and first true love, photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, in 1946, and the death of her beloved husband and fellow musician, Fred “Sonic” Smith, forty-eight years later.
Significance of the Release Date
The memoir’s publication date aligns closely with the 50th anniversary of her debut album, Horses. Smith reflects in the opening pages,
“The hourglass overturns. Each grain a word that erupts into a thousand more, the first and last moments of every living thing.”
The Journey Through Her Life and Art
Smith’s life writing is as profound and illuminating as her poetry. Her previous memoir, Just Kids, was voted a best book of the 21st century by readers and depicts her extraordinary relationship with Mapplethorpe as they build their artistic careers in 1970s New York.
Other works like M Train and Year of the Monkey explore her spiritual outlook and creative process amid the passage of time and her global travels. Devotion delves into writing as a form of activism, helping her maintain her voice against external pressures.
Key Themes
- Love and loss through intimate relationships
- Creative renewal and spiritual reflection
- The interplay of art and personal history
Author’s summary: Patti Smith’s memoir intertwines love, grief, and artistry in a poetic journey that reflects on life’s fleeting moments and the enduring power of creativity.
Would you like a version with more detailed section divisions or a simplified summary?