‘How should I cast my soul?’ Patti Smith’s intimate new memoir is a quest for her true self

How should I cast my soul? Patti Smith’s intimate new memoir is a quest for her true self

Patti Smith’s memoir Bread of Angels arrives on a poignant date, intertwining significant moments from her life. November 4 holds deep meaning: it marks the birth of her artistic soulmate and first true love, photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, in 1946. Exactly 48 years later, on the same day, her beloved husband and fellow musician Fred “Sonic” Smith passed away from a heart attack.

This deeply personal and comprehensive memoir, a decade in the making, is fittingly published nearly 50 years after her debut album, Horses. Smith opens with a reflection on time:

“The hourglass overturns. Each grain a word that erupts into a thousand more, the first and last moments of every living thing.”

Like her poetry, Smith’s life writing is rich and illuminating. Her acclaimed Just Kids, voted a best book of the 21st century by readers of The New York Times, recounts her extraordinary relationship with Mapplethorpe as they launched their artistic careers in 1970s New York.

Other memoirs give more insight into her spiritual and creative life. M Train and Year of the Monkey explore her contemplation of time and her global travels, while Devotion reveals writing as a vocation and a form of resistance against being overshadowed by others' work.

Key Themes in Patti Smith’s Memoirs

Bread of Angels represents the latest chapter in Smith’s ongoing quest to understand her authentic self through art and life.

Author’s summary: Patti Smith’s memoir reveals a life devoted to love, creativity, and self-discovery, framed by loss and renewal over decades of artistic evolution.

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The Conversation The Conversation — 2025-11-04

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