Legendary artist Patti Smith spoke with host Jill Riley about her latest memoir, Bread of Angels, navigating grief with gratitude, and her upcoming event in Minneapolis.

Listen to the full interview in the player above, and find a complete transcript below.

Interview Transcript

Jill Riley: You're listening to The Current, I'm Jill Riley. There's an event coming up that we want to tell you about. In fact, I've got a special guest on the line. Poet, author, singer-songwriter, artist, an icon of New York punk. To many of us, our godmother of punk and rock and roll, Hall of Fame Inductee: Patti Smith is on the line. Patti Smith, oh my gosh, it's so wonderful to meet you. Thank you for being on The Current.

Patti Smith: Thank you. I'm not quite sure I can live up to that introduction, but I'll do my best. So happy to talk to you, really.

Jill Riley: Well, wonderful. Yes, and there's an event coming up, Friday March 13, at The O'Shaughnessy at St. Catherine University, Patti Smith: Songs and Stories in Solidarity. I know that you wanted to do something special for the Midwest, and you're coming to the Twin Cities. I know that you have been spending a lot of time doing a book tour for your new memoir, Bread of Angels. But I wonder if we could start by your decision to come to the Twin Cities.

Patti Smith: I wanted to come, I mean, all my people are dispersed everywhere. But my son, who is a great guitarist, and my pianist and bass player, Tony Shanahan, agreed to come with me to do a kind of book event, you know, and I'll be reading some passages from the book and telling stories that seem relative to what we're dealing with in these times. But we're going to do most a lot of songs. It's an opportunity for me to be able to sing for the people. And most of it will be the songs people want to hear. They can request a song. If we can do it, we'll be doing my songs, Bob Dylan songs, songs that are relevant to the book, but again, relative to what we're all experiencing right now.

Jill Riley: So let's touch on your book. Patti, you've written a number of books, but you've got this new memoir, Bread of Angels, that really seems to be a focus on your path, and there are many who have been with you on your path, but really about your story, and your music, and your development as an artist, and your husband and your brother, and the people who have Just been with you, but centered around, really, your telling of the stories. So, I wonder if you could talk about what was the inspiration to tell your story in this way and to write another memoir?

Patti Smith: Well, I really didn't want to, because they're very difficult, because one has to be so accurate. Really think about what I'm saying about myself, other people, and make certain that things are truthful but also considerate, and that one has an accurate portrayal of what was happening in our world. So I had written the book for Robert [Mapplethorpe] because he asked me to, and it was very focused on Robert and being young artists and New York City. I wanted to write a book that was the arc of my life, but not only for myself or to tell about my process or what I've been through or done in my life. The core of the book is gratitude, whether it's my parents, my late brother, my late husband, friends like Sam Shepard and and, of course, Robert but all kinds of people. My high school art teacher, Susan Sontag, people I've met on the way who have mentored me, William Burroughs and somebody like Michael Stipe, who really helped me when I had difficulties after my husband died. There's so many people that have either inspired me, taught me, or helped me in difficult times. The book gave me an opportunity to, in some ways, thank them. I mean, I can't say I always got a gold star for gratitude when I was younger. I had a lot of hubris, a lot of swagger. It took me a while to evolve to the place where I really understood that everything doesn't come from oneself, but we are nurtured and shepherd by all kinds of people. So I think of this book as sort of the sister to Just Kids. Robert's the brother, and this is the sister. But they intertwine very well I think.

Jill Riley: Patti Smith is on the line here. You've mentioned a couple words that I really feel like have this intersection; grief and gratitude. And I'm curious as to how do they intersect for you? And I just want to point out that I'm not using the word "did," because I really believe it's a "do," because those two experiences, at least for me, they're just something that are kind of a forever. And I wonder if you could really talk about how those two things have shown up for you.

Patti Smith: That's actually a really good question, and just when you were speaking, I thought, how can I answer that? I mean, I lost Robert, [who] was only 42, my pianist was 37, my husband was 45, my brother was 44 or 42, I don't remember, but everyone's so young, and it's so much, so much grief and so much pain, but we have to move ourselves out of that. We're always going to feel a certain amount of sorrow or loss. But I found the way to help me navigate that was gratitude. So grief and gratitude do link together, because after a time, I thought, yes, I've lost these people in my life, but how lucky I am that I got to play music with them, that I had children with my husband, my brother was my champion his whole life, my parents, everything these people did for me that blossoms past the grief, so that sometimes when I think of my brother. I used to cry, when I think of him now, I tend to smile, because he was so awesome. And he was really my knight on the road and childhood. And so I find once I learned to be grateful and really, not superficially, but deeply grateful for knowing all of these people and still feeling them with me, then the idea of their the center thing wouldn't be grief. I don't want to think of all of these really great people just in terms of grieving. I want to be able to think of all their good deeds, all the ways they made me laugh, all the ways they helped me. So all of a sudden, you forced me to link these two words up, and they are linked.

Jill Riley: And it takes some work to get there. I mean, when you mention the age of your brother, and the age of Robert Mapplethorpe, and the age of your husband Fred Smith of the MC5, for the Detroit Rock music fans that are listening, it could be easy, I imagine, to stay maybe in a place of anger, even to feel like you were cheated of time.

Patti Smith: Well, I think that's one thing I learned really early, is these things did not happen to me. They happen to my husband, to my brother. I do feel the pain or sorrow that my children were not able to experience a loving father their whole life and only a small amount of time. That is the most painful. I think it's very important not to take these things personally. And I really love life. I love working. I'm really happy. I'm 79 years old and still working, and people are interested in my work. I don't feel a decline in that sense. I think it's important, since I've survived so many people, to stay here. Be their advocate, let them instruct me in whatever mystical way. But I'm just glad to be here, and I'm glad to have them in my corner, no matter how abstract that corner is.

Jill Riley: Yeah, well, and we're glad to have you. Patti Smith is on the line on The Current. There's an event coming up. Patti Smith: Songs and Stories in Solidarity, Friday March 13, at the O'Shaughnessy at St. Catherine University, with the book being part of that show. But you mentioned at the beginning of our conversation of really just coming together to experience and celebrate the music. And I imagine that at a time of resistance for Minneapolis, for the Twin Cities, for Minnesota, that the song "People Have the Power" is certainly one that would show up.

Patti Smith: And, you know, I was traveling somewhat in Europe when many things happened in Minneapolis, and that is global news. People were shocked, horrified, and because we were away, we did songs in memory of the people that were lost, including Alex Pretti and Renee Good, and people responded. And the slogan "We are all Minnesota" is a slogan that we've all used. And people in Europe and artists in Europe, they've been very deeply touched and horrified by this, but deeply touched by the resilience of the people. I'm so moved by the strength and resilience of the people in the coldest weather, with all of these obstacles and everything against them, their own government, it makes me feel quite humbled and proud, not in this patriotic way or anything like that, just humanistically proud. Yes, it's a book event, and people will receive the book, which I hope they really like and will help them in some way. But we are going to sing for the people, and we're a strong, we're just a little trio, but my son can play anything. Tony is a great pianist. Hopefully the people will sing with us, and that's why we're coming.

Jill Riley: When we're coming out of something, and I don't think we're all the way there, but coming out of a difficult period, there's always that period of healing, and I can't think of a better way to heal than with music. And, Patti with a song like "People Have the Power," I also think, as you've been talking about your late husband, Fred Smith, you wrote that song together. And I just wonder if that's another way that it's almost like he shows up with you?

Patti Smith: Yes, absolutely. That was of all the songs that we wrote, the one he was most proud of. He started writing it in hopes that, this was some time ago that Jesse Jackson would be running for president. He wanted us to write a song to offer him, and then he didn't run. So we had this song. And Fred also wanted a song that the people globally could have if they needed a song, if they needed a voice, if they needed someone to speak for them. And Fred didn't live long enough to see this happen, but I did, my children have. I mean, I've been in marches in Spain, in France. I've heard what people are doing in Korea or Japan, they'll say "we were all singing that song." And then when we sing it with the people, people always join in wherever we are. I always feel his presence. I'm sorry that people have to suffer, of course, and need a song like that, but if they need it and use it, it makes me happy for him, because that was his primary goal. Yeah.

Jill Riley: Patti Smith, thank you so much for checking in with The Current at Minnesota Public Radio. I just really appreciate you and thank you for giving us a song that we can use at these times. Your new book, Bread of Angels, it is out. I'm really seeing some great reviews and people who maybe don't even know you as a singer and songwriter, but know you as an author, have really been connecting with this story. And the event is coming up, Songs and Stories in Solidarity, Friday, March 13, at the O'Shaughnessy at St. Catherine University. Patti Smith, thank you so much.

Patti Smith: Thank you. And if you ever need me, just call upon me.

Jill Riley: Wonderful. We may just take you up on that. All right. Well, if we're going to go out, let's go out with the song that has that power. Here is "People Have the Power" on The Current.

Credits

Guests – Patti Smith
Host – Jill Riley
Producer – Derrick Stevens
Digital Producer - Natalia Toledo

External Link

Patti Smith – Official Website