Patti Smith Won The National Book Award: Great Pick Or WTF? (POLL)

Patti Smith was a National Book Award Winner for 2010. Everybody loved her acceptance speech, but does everybody love the book? Opinions in favor seem to dominate, but there's a growing undercurrent of dissent, and those people seem to be afraid to be pummeled if they express an anti-'Just Kids' sentiment. So we ask you in the poll below, to vote:

Quick Poll

Patti Smith's 'Just Kids' won the National Book Award:

Great Pick!

WTF?

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Comments

[MichaelWalsh]

09:31 AM on 12/22/2010

@Quasimoto: Hey! I was at Painters Mill too! Great show!

[Quasimoto]

09:23 AM on 11/23/2010

I cannot wait to read this book. I've been a fan and follower of Patti's work since I first saw her at Painter's Mill Music Hall in Owing's Mill, MD in the mid seventies. I was young and I was totally blown away. Now I'm old and I am still blown away by her work. Her words are pure poetry, and her voice is both childlike and mature. After 35 years, not a week goes by without listening to her music. My music collection is dominated by Patti Smith and John Prine. I've also been an admirer of Robert Maplethorpe's work. I love black & white photography and Robert's work is among the best. Congratulations Patti. You move in another dimension.

[Bill in CA]

10:55 PM on 11/21/2010

From my perspective, 'Just Kids' is an amazing book. So much so that I felt the need to tell everybody about it in the days after finishing it. I even blogged about it ! www.leftoversfromtheleftcoast.blogspot.com

[RasputinsLiver]

10:44 PM on 11/21/2010

Patti's been on my artistic radar since the early seventies. I haven't read the book yet. But I've no doubts it succeeds in all ways as her other work always has.

[bblueskye]

03:16 AM on 11/21/2010

Why is this a "WTF" consideration? She wrote a very impressive book detailing her relationship with Robert Mapplethorpe, she was able to describe the foundation of their relationship to where it inspired her to the path of music, and how that relationship still continues to inspire her to this day. Many people asked what their relationship was, and there were many rumors about their relationship that she addressed and cleared up.

As far as bios/memoirs go, there haven't been very many good ones lately. Patti Smith really did an impressive job with "Just Kids," and I think that she very much deserves this award. As a bookseller, I saw this book sell quite a few copies in our store, and people did tell me that they enjoyed it to where they wanted to learn more about Mapplethorpe, or they wanted to learn more about Patti Smith's music.

[MamacitaOfLove]

12:23 AM on 11/20/2010

Wow. I'm so impressed that they honored her. Well deserved!

[rifraf1001]

01:25 PM on 11/19/2010

Excellent book by a multi-talented artist. I had not read any of the other possible winners though.

[bblueskye]

03:25 AM on 11/21/2010

The competition wasn't all that impressive for Non-Fiction. "Cultures of War" by John Dower and "Just Kids" by Patti Smith were the 2 good books on the list out of the finalists. "Secret Historian" was one of the others, but I forgot the others. I remember "Cultures of War" and "Just Kids" being the 2 non-fiction books that had some buzz from the critics.

[VoodooAcrobat]

09:01 AM on 11/19/2010

Great pick!! Patti Smith is an incredibly literate artist. Aside from this book, her poetry and music have always been deeply powerful and moving. Her music has jagged edges and thought provoking imagery. Some slam her because she does not live up to their expectations of beauty. Remember her album cover with unshaven armpits? It was quite rebelious at the time and totally in keeping with her personal sense of style and integrity. She shows who she is through her art, not through some Photoshopped Glamour Shot. She is who she is, not who you expect her to be.

She is the real deal.

[BlueKansas]

10:39 PM on 11/18/2010

She wrote a book?? I'll have to look into this!! Wow, I've missed something here. Love love love Patti Smith, ever since the early 70s.

[codemo]

02:50 PM on 11/20/2010

I've got to check it out too. I bought all her albums in the 70s. "Horses" is a 70s masterpiece. I had the pleasure of seeing the Patti Smith Group at Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium in California back in the day. I saw Roxy Music, Elvis Costello and the Ramones there too. That was a good time.

[BlueKansas]

01:54 PM on 11/21/2010

My compliments on your taste in music! Bet you saw the New York Dolls, too? I was in college -- art school at that time. It was a great time for new music. Iheard Bowie for the first time around 1972 and I was hooked.

[bblueskye]

03:26 AM on 11/21/2010

Yes, it's about her relationship with Robert Mapplethorpe before they both made successes out of themselves. Originally, Patti Smith wrote poetry and painted, Robert Mapplethorpe was trying to make it as a painter. It kind of gave an account as to how he got into photography, and how she got into music.

[BlueKansas]

01:53 PM on 11/21/2010

Wow, talk about synergy. Their relationship led to his photography and her music. Funny how life works sometimes. Two really great talents there.

[inkongirl]

08:07 PM on 11/18/2010

Great pick. Patti is a great all around artist.

[canadapaul]

06:55 PM on 11/18/2010

I thought it was just beautiful ! Patti Smith is one of
the most under appreciated all around artists of the
past 50yrs.

[RedNinjaGirl]

06:51 PM on 11/18/2010

This WTF person is a fan of Pattie Smith's music (since 1976).

I read the book, I liked it, but I don't think it was worthy of the nonfiction national book award. There are many better.

[bebopman21]

06:32 PM on 11/18/2010

I'm not aware of all the candidates, but I though Ms. Smith's book was quite good. A great story.

[gracemiller]

06:31 PM on 11/18/2010

Have they read the book? I did and it is luminescent. Smith brings an era and a generation of artists to life. Writing in a style that could not be more brilliant, in a rhythm that moves forward with quiet intensity, Smith has a story to tell and she tells it with brilliance.

[ProfWagstaff]

06:04 PM on 11/18/2010

The WTF voters must have picked Sarah Palin's book.

Way to go Patti!