Patti Smith arrived in New York City in search of work and purpose. Through her poetry, her songs, and her very presence as a woman fronting a rock band, she kicked open a door that countless others walked through. This book also shows Smith as a nuanced thinker, a maker of beautiful and challenging things. A transformative artist who has not simply entertained but also empowered millions.

Patti Smith arrived in New York City at the end of the Age of Aquarius in search of work and purpose. Through her poetry, her songs, her unapologetic vocal power, and her very presence as a woman fronting a rock band, she kicked open a door that countless others walked through. No other musician has better embodied the "nothing-to-hide" rawness of punk, nor has any other done more to nurture a place in society for misfits of every stripe. Why Patti Smith Matters is the first book about the iconic artist written by a woman. The veteran music journalist Caryn Rose contextualizes Smith''s creative work, her influence, and her wide-ranging and still- evolving impact on rock and roll, visual art, and the written word. Rose goes deep into Smith''s oeuvre, from her first album, Horses , to acclaimed memoirs operating at a surprising remove from her music. The portrait of a ceaseless inventor, Why Patti Smith Matters rescues punk''s poet laureate from "strong woman" cliches. Of course Smith is strong. She is also a nuanced thinker. A maker of beautiful and challenging things. A transformative artist who has not simply entertained but also empowered millions.

Vorwort
A radical exploration of the artistry and influence of Patti Smith: the Poet Laureate of Punk whose un**inhibitedcreativity inspired an entire generation and triggered a cultural revolution.**

Autorentext
Caryn Rose is a longtime music journalist whose work has appeared in Pitchfork, MTV News, Salon, Billboard, the Village Voice, Vulture, and the Guardian. Her essay on Maybelle Carter was included in Woman Walk the Line: How the Women in Country Music Changed Our Lives.