Patti

The day before Dad's birthday, I drove downtown to pick up a few things for the party, and I was also hoping to pick up a couple of gifts for him, as I had a couple of extra bucks in my pocket. I ran into Reny's and picked him a couple of pairs of "diabetic" socks, and found a nice lightweight, but warm over shirt. I decided to check out the excellent book store, thinking I might pick him up a book of Leonard Cohen poems (as sort of a side to the song I played for him on his birthday.) I was also looking for anything by an author named Penelope Fitzgerald, who I had never heard of, but was curious about ever since I ran across a post on social media from someone I didn't know, who posted a photo of every single book she had published and was highly recommending.

When I entered the book store, the owner asked me if he could help, so I said, sure - Leonard Cohen and Penelope Fitzgerald. He led me over to the poetry section where there was a few works by Cohen, and then went to the bargain book section and handed me the last copy of a Fitzgerald book, called "The Blue Flower." I chose a nice little hardback of Cohen works to give to Dad, and before I checked out, I took a quick scan in my favorite section of the store, the music area. I spotted a big $30 hard back of a memoir by Patti Smith called "Just Kids." Wishing I could afford it, I almost moved on, but then I spotted a paperback version of the book for $16. I've never really had Patti Smith on my radar before - but, all of my musical heroes have always honored her, and the book looked fascinating (her early years in NYC and her friendship and artist life with the photographer Robert Mapplethorpe), so I decided to cough up the extra money so I could have something inspiring to read. I noticed there was a second book by her called "M Train" on the shelf, too, but opted to buy "Just Kids" because it was published in 2010, where as the latter was published in 2015.

I started reading it that night, and instantly fell in love with the story and her voice. When I finished the book, a few days later - I knew I had to go back to the book store and buy "M Train" before anyone else bought it. I went back the next day, and naturally, it was still sitting on the shelf. I was so happy. "M Train" was just as beautiful and satisfying, if not more, then "Just Kids." She is brilliant and inspiring, and she shook the dust out of my brain and made me long for a deeper life in art.

I need to practice writing more often. Everyday. And I keep getting distracted and finding excuses not to write. And I battle the demons of self-loathing and defeat. So, these little blog posts are just to prod myself out of this inertia. There is way too much in my dusty little brain that never leaves its walls.

I started to read the "The Blue Flower" a few days later - but I lost interest a few pages in. I longed to get back into Patti's world. She's brilliant.