Just Kids, the fascinating story of artists before fame
is this... a review?
Just Kids is about two struggling artists prelude to fame.
A story of two kindred spirit complemented by a force of mutual tenderness, love, and support, it is an intimate look at the lives of Patti Smith's and Robert Mapplethorpe's in the 60s-70s influenced by sex, drugs, rock n roll in New York — they were at first Just Kids.
Here are a list of things I loved about this book, starting with: the feeling and setting in time. It sounds ridiculous to love the setting when this is a non-fiction book, but we have to understand that she wrote this many, many, many decades later. This book was published in 2010. But this book transports you back in time to 1960s New York, where Andy Warhol, Jimi Hendrix, The Velvet Underground, Janis Joplin among others, were the young and famous. Where thrifting meant finding items of immense value sold for 1 dollar. Where, before fame, everyone has experienced the same worries and uncertainties:
Often I'd sit and try to write or draw, but all of the manic activity in the streets, coupled with the Vietnam War, made my efforts seem meaningless. I could not identify with political movements. In trying to join them I felt overwhelmed by yet another form of bureaucracy. I wondered if anything I did mattered.
They were the new generation of emerging artists about to surpass their idols without even knowing it.
Patti Smith with her poetry, and Robert Mapplethorpe with his collages, they both cultivated their art in their small space, working odd-jobs that pay so little just to eat day-old bread and splurge on a few art materials without knowing when things would take-off. They had a sacred trust.
Even with my better salary at Scribner's, we had very little money. Often we'd stand in the cold on the corner of St. James Place in eyeshot of the Greek diner or Jake's art supply store, debating how to spend our few dollars— a toss-up between grilled cheese sandwiches and art supplies. Sometimes unable to distinguish the greater hunger, Robert would keep watch of the diner while I, filled with the spirit of Genet, pocketed much-needed brass sharpener or colored pencils. … Robert fretted over not being able to provide for us. I told him not to worry, that committing to great art was its own reward.
I loved reading about their inspirations and where they draw it from. Patti was in awe of the Art Deco buildings around NY, visited dead poets graves, and romanticised Paris. She dated playwrights and musicians, and reviewed rock music for the Rolling Stones, desperate to bring rock back. Robert bought magazines and cut pieces out to form the perfect picture — which he was never satisfied with until he became a photographer.
We lost contact with Ed but a decade later he was with me in an unexpected way. As I approached the microphone with my electric guitar to sing the opening line "So you want to be a rock 'n’ roll star?” I remembered his words. Small prophecies.
Many of their inspirations were beginning to take shape for them. Patti wanted to be a poet, and ended starting her own rock band. Robert manic about his sexuality and collages, later found himself a patron for his BDSM photography.
He was no longer using magazine images, just models and himself to produce visuals of self-inflicted pain. … His mission was not to reveal , but to document an aspect of sexuality as art, as it had never been done be.
I think I would've appreciated the Hotel Chelsea chapter more if I actually knew the famous people/artists they were meeting, I felt their importance but I didn't think they really mattered much to me. I know that NYC fans would've loved the inside look of Hotel Chelsea as-well as their time hanging out in CBGB's.
I have never been intrigued by non-fiction books before, and this year Just Kids was my second non-fic book. There is still a beauty in the prose after all. Reading this gave me the complete opposite experience compared to my assumptions that non-fiction books and memoirs were boring. The real world has lessons that come from observation and reflection that are worth reading.
Exploring their art post reading
I enjoyed (!!) listening to her music for the first time and come to think of it I've never really listened to real rock n roll before I listened to Horses. Gloria: In Excelsis Deo was first performed as spoken word poetry with some music playing at the back. Later on she formed the band little by little. And basically gave birth to an entire album by blending rock and poetry.
If y'all listen to this song y'all would be surprised as HELL. She sings in a weird way and the composition of the song itself is chaotic but I LOVE IT. The first line of the entire album, of this song is “Jesus died for somebody's sins but not mine”. I just think that is so rock n roll.
I loved (!!) seeing the photos for the first time. The images he made are really disturbing and I won't be pasting those here (cos idk I'm scared of the Substack rules and regulations) but the CONTRAST!! He is a master of black and white photos. I never thought I would love photos of weird BDSM stuff so much.
I love how the themes are so PROVOCATIVE… and it was the 60s. I always think we are sooo modern compared to older generations, but older generations of artists were crazy AF. I really have a new-found appreciation for the 60s/70s because this was also a very important period for feminism. Ideas from this time would do us a service to actually reference back to it.
Originally…
This post was supposed to be about both Just Kids and Kanye's jeen-yuh's docu-series. I also have been raving about jeen-yuh's because his prelude to fame is insane (!) plus I relate to the time more since I was already alive when he was becoming famous. Kanye wasn't a starving artist since he was making bank by producing and selling beats to many rappers, but his determination to be a rapper who produced his own beats was amazing to watch. My experience watching his three-part docu-series was just me… constantly mind-blown because I didn't realize how many Kanye songs I actually knew… by heart. You'd be surprised at how much you remember from childhood. I do admit, as an experienced Rap Connoisseur, that his lyrics aren't the best now. But listening to his struggles and the stories he's written about in his first few albums are crazy good.
Reading
I'm subscribed to Tiny Revolutions on Substack. This article is her musings on truth, and I really resonate with the Zen philosopher quote “Nothing in the universe is hidden”.
There are a lot of articles about how rest is important, productivity isn't everything, and self-development. This Psyche article is about why doing your best is sometimes the worst thing you can do is something that might resonate with one of you. I just really liked her response to one comment: Another piece of counsel delivered by the I-Ching is to let go of the assumption that we know how things *should* work out. When our ‘best’ opens up to growth and ‘glorious possibilities’ it becomes ‘next’.
At Night All Blood is Black by David Diop is the 2021 Booker International Prize winner. At a very short length of 140 pages, we follow Alfa Ndiaye descent to madness as a Senegalese man used as a “savage” troop in World War I, while avenging his friend. A re-read is a must.
Silk Roads by Peter Frankopan
Watching
Gilmore Girls S6 because I saw Clark post a screenshot for S6 while I was still on S4. I worked hard to not be spoiled so I just binged this whole month. *shade*
The Indian Matchmaker. Trashy shows are my guilty pleasure…
Yet another artists to admire. BBC Moominland Tales: The Life of Tove Jansson
For fellow jazz enthusiasts, Universal Mind of Bill Evans.
Random course I found on Women in Art History.
Catching up on whatpageareyouon's videos, this one on book reviewing helped me understand… book reviewing.
Listening
I've been listening to this 715 song playlist that scientifically gives you chills. Here is the article about it.
A podcast?? Yes! 10 Day Vipassana Silent Meditation Experience - Leah's Fieldnotes
Late Registration - Kanye West
Horses - Patti Smith
Links! *yes this is new*
As I've been reading more about art history I found a list of educational resources from the Guggenheim site.
I found out about the Guerilla Girls from the Women in Art History course I watched and I love them! Taken from the about page: The Guerrilla Girls are anonymous artist activists who use disruptive headlines, outrageous visuals and killer statistics to expose gender and ethnic bias and corruption in art, film, politics and pop culture.
Rolling Stone's The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
Kanye is still not topping My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. 😩