"The Condition"

Here's one to avoid. Based on the spine, I thought this would be a great read. Didn't turn out so. It started out great, taking place in one of my favorite locations, "The Cod", as I like to call it. Well, the interesting scenes in Cape Cod devolve into your typical book about academia. I gave up after a couple chapters and some quick peaks into future chapters. Don't waste your time. What's disappointing is this was one of the staff recs. at the library.

"Just Kids"

I finally got around to reading Patti Smith's first autobiography. What an interesting book indeed. It's a fascinating look into her life in the late sixties and early seventies in New York City. She discusses her relationship with Robert Mapplethorpe and chronicles the art and music scene of that era. I was surprised to find out just how straight-laced she was. My favorite line in the book is when she's rehearsing for a play and the director says to her, "You don't shoot up and you're not a lesbian. What do you actually do?" She's a gifted writer, although what would you expect from an artist, poet, and singer-songwriter? Just reading about her encounters with Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and Todd Rundgren is reason enough to dive into the book. Now I can't wait to read her most recent one.