Patti Smith - A Book of Days

 

Of course, I have written about Patti innumerable times over the years, as I have been a fan since before her first recorded output, due to her writing for various rock'n'roll zines and her collaborations with the likes of Blue Oyster Cult. Her records with the Patti Smith Group are classics that I still listen to habitually (just this morning, in fact!) and her recent books have been quite enthralling.

This tome is a collection of photos and captions that are mostly, if not all, taken from her highly entertaining and captivating Instagram account. She has quite the eye for photographic composition so her pictures are almost always artistic captures and, of course, her brief prose/captions are always well written and poetic. With 366 entries - one for each day plus leap year - there are lots to peruse and the book itself is a fine publication - my hardbound edition is an interesting 5"x7" size, which gives the photos some room without appearing much larger than they do on her Instagram feed, which is an interesting choice.

The photos range from various tableaus in her NY apartment, to the streets of the city, to her family, to other people's photos of something special for that day (say, Elvis Presley's birthday, and, of course, photos of herself with others) to her travels around the world. As she travels, she always makes it a point to stop and photograph something of importance to her, whether it is a grave, a house, a bed, a patio, architecture and lots more.

A true artist, I'm glad that she is continuing to evolve and grow as well as perform, and continues to explore new media for communication - something that is obviously important to her. Certainly recommended!