Read Patti Smith's M TRAIN a while ago. Was in love with her first book, JUST KIDS, but M TRAIN was more intellectual and esoteric. What flaws me was that she was a HUGE part of the underground art's movement, and was Robert Mapplethorpe's sometimes lover and best friend, and yet in between the cerebral lines what emerges is a lovely woman, a loving mother, someone who was a wonderful wife to her musician husband, and is living with the loss that goes with death, a fun and funky woman in love with life and art and language. M Train is a must read for anyone who wants a glimpse into that world.
Last night, Thursday the 15th, I went with my husband and our friends to go to Garfield Temple to hear Patti Smith read from M Train. I knew I would love it, but what I did not anticipate was that my husband would love her so much. He loved her folksy, down to earth appeal, her music, and what he really loved, was she writes about her all-time-favorite show, "The Killing" extensively, and he is such a great fan of that show. It was a pleasure to watch someone discover the joy of Patti Smith's view of the world, which is so expansive, so authentic. She has such a sense of irony and fun; her warmth was exuded through her reading. And what a joy it is to HEAR a book I know so well, and hearing the author's personality emerge via the reading.
And the best part of the evening? When we walked home, my husband said he was greatly impressed by how much I know about art and culture. It was nice to get a compliment like that from him; it has so much more meaning when someone is not in the habit of saying things just to say them. When Ira says something, he means it, and I appreciate that he appreciates my sensibilities.
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