Patti SmithThe Coral Sea"Through these poems, a singular, glowing vision of Robert Mapplethorpe develops and emerges. In The Coral Sea, Patti Smith (in the words of Tennessee Williams) 'rings the bell of pure poetry.' "—William S. Burroughs
In linked pieces Patti Smith tells the story of a man
on a journey to see the Southern Cross, who is
reflecting on his life and fighting the illness that is
consuming him. Metaphoric and dreamy, this tale of
transformation arises from Smith's knowledge of
Mapplethorpe as a young man and as a mature artist, his close
relationship with his patron and friend, Sam Wagstaff,
and his years surviving AIDS and his ascent into
death. Rich in detail, it is filled with references
to Mapplethorpe's work and shows the man beneath
the persona. Set against photographs by
Mapplethorpe, the work emerges as a hymn, a prayer, a fable
wishing him Godspeed on his latest journey.
"She was once our savage Rimbaud, but suffering has turned her into our St. John of the Cross, a mystic full of compassion."--Edmund White Patti Smith is known as a singer and songwriter for her albums, which include Horses, Easter, and Wave from the Patti Smith Group, and Dream of Life recorded with her late husband, Fred Sonic Smith. Her latest album is Gone Again (1996). She is the author of Early Work: 1970–1979 and lives with her two children in New York.
1997 / paperback / ISBN 0-393-31626-2 1995 / hardcover / ISBN 0-393-03908-0 Photographs / 272 pages / literature/poetry | ||||||
| ||||||
