How Should I Cast My Soul? Patti Smith’s Intimate New Memoir
Patti Smith’s memoir Bread of Angels is a profound journey through her entire life, exploring deep love, profound loss, and creative rebirth. It follows her acclaimed Just Kids, which was voted one of the best books of the 21st century.
Significant Dates and Personal Milestones
Bread of Angels was released on November 4, a date marked by poignant events in Smith’s life. On this day in 1946, her artistic soulmate and first true love, photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, was born. Exactly 48 years later, on the same date, her beloved husband and fellow musician Fred “Sonic” Smith passed away from a heart attack.
“The hourglass overturns,” she writes. “Each grain a word that erupts into a thousand more, the first and last moments of every living thing.”
The memoir’s publication also closely aligns with the 50th anniversary of her debut album Horses, underscoring the book’s intimate and reflective nature.
Earlier Works and Themes
Smith’s Just Kids chronicles her extraordinary relationship with Mapplethorpe as they built their careers in 1970s New York, offering an intimate look at their shared artistic journey.
Her other memoirs, M Train and Year of the Monkey, provide deeper insight into her spiritual views and creative process, reflecting on time and travel. Meanwhile, Devotion investigates the act of writing as a dedicated, purposeful endeavor that protects her from being overwhelmed by others’ works.
Author's Summary
Patti Smith’s memoir Bread of Angels powerfully explores her rich emotional life, connecting love, loss, and creative transformation through a deeply personal lens.