The Coral Sea
Before the National Book Award-winning Just Kids, Patti Smith addressed the life and passing of her intimate friend, photographer Robert Mapplethorpe.
Through the linked pieces of The Coral Sea, Patti Smith honors her comrade-in-arms Robert Mapplethorpe (1946-1989). She tells the story of a man on an ocean journey to see the Southern Cross, who is reflecting on his life and fighting the illness that is consuming him. Metaphoric and dreamy, this tale of transformation arises from Smith's knowledge of Mapplethorpe from a young man to a mature artist; his close relationship with patron and friend, Sam Wagstaff; his years surviving AIDS; and his ascent into death. The Coral Sea is Smith's lyrically compelling recasting of her grief to recapture Mapplethorpe's life…
PATTI SMITH is the author of Just Kids, which won the National Book Award in 2010, and of M Train, as well as numerous collections of poetry and essays. Her seminal album Horses has been hailed as one of the top 100 albums of all time. In 2005, the French Ministry of Culture awarded Smith the title of Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres; she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007.
Coltrane
Edited by Ravi Coltrane, with essays by Wayne Coyne, Dev Hynes, Phil Lesh, Julie Mehretu, Carlos Santana, Patti Smith, and Ravi Coltrane
A Book of Days
Patti Smith
My First Popsicle
Edited by Zosia Mamet
Little Women
Louisa May Alcott; Edited with an Introduction by Anne Boyd Rioux; Foreword by Patti Smith
Year of the Monkey
Patti Smith
The One Inside
Sam Shepard; Foreword by Patti Smith
M Train
Patti Smith
Blood on Snow
Jo Nesbo
The Coral Sea
Patti Smith
The Petting Zoo
Jim Carroll