From Jay McInerney's New York, let's venture into a real depiction of the Big Apple with our first non-fiction book, a memoir by an artist about artists. Here's my breakdown:
Author: Patti Smith
Title: "Just Kids" (2010)
Number of Pages: 304 in Ecco's first edition
Catalyst: Robert Mapplethorpe
In my opinion, if being an artist is your profession, you're pretty awesome. I sometimes daydream about running far from the academic quad and diving into the creative world. What's more romantic than lounging about, meeting people at party after party and, later, making an impact by sharing all your experiences with everyone? Well, as Smith points out in "Just Kids," there's more to it than that. Really, being an artist is just as difficult as any other job, or, perhaps, even more so.
First thing's first: Get on the Internet and type in "Patti Smith Robert Mapplethorpe Interview Magazine" in an image search. Take a look at these people. They are amazingly cool. I want to be as cool as them — and I can sometimes delude myself into thinking I am — but really, have you met anyone as cool as this couple?
My favorite of the pictures is the one with Mapplethorpe on the left and Smith's arm on his shoulder. They're both kind of smoldering at the camera, Mapplethorpe in a dirty white shirt and Smith all in black. They look really comfortable with each other, just standing in someone's kitchen with a shelf of spices behind them. Moreover, they look vibrant, eclectic and so freaking mysterious.
In "Just Kids," Smith chronicles her young adult life; at 21, she moves to New York and meets Mapplethorpe, also 21. Her life there starkly contrasts her past. Born in Chicago, Smith grew up in New Jersey with modest means and was raised as a Jehovah's Witness. Yet, with Mapplethorpe — who also had a religious upbringing in a Catholic home — Smith constructed a new life, one that she desperately wanted. Together, they struggled for years before finally moving into the iconic Hotel Chelsea, where they met countless celebrated artists. The two created an enduring love that defied definitions.
With dogged determination and grit between them, Smith and Mapplethorpe did discover creative success. Nowadays, Smith is famous for charting the punk-rock scene, as well as her writing. She has inspired musicians like R.E.M., U2, Garbage, The Smiths and KT Tunstall, as well as actress Ellen Page. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007. Mapplethorpe, her friend and inspiration, became successful as a talented and controversial photographer. But back then, when they were our age, they were nobodies who took turns paying for dollar meals and worked random jobs to get by.
"Just Kids" is a heartwarming and heartbreaking tale, relevant to us for many reasons. As Millennials — a generation marked by entitlement — the struggles of these artists put our so-called roadblocks into perspective. Smith describes how one apartment was more like a warehouse; without a toilet in the premises, she'd utilize cups to get her through the shady night. Meanwhile, Mapplethorpe fights illness in hotel rooms without the aid of a hospital or medication. Secondly, reading about living in the '60s and '70s while being artists and rubbing elbows with Andy Warhol's crowd is a glamorous delight. The book's crowning achievement is Smith's ability to balance hardship and allure.
Finally, the human emotion captured between these pages is unparalleled. The pages ring true and triumphant — maybe because Smith wrote it for Mapplethorpe himself. Also, did I mention they're really cool? And without even trying?
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Alexandria Chu is a junior majoring in English. She can be reached at Alexandria.Chu@tufts.edu.
