Just Kids

Written by Patti Smith

Narrated by Patti Smith

In Just Kids, Patti Smith’s first book of prose, the legendary American artist offers a never-before-seen glimpse of her remarkable relationship with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe in the epochal days of New York City and the Chelsea Hotel in the late sixties and seventies. An honest and moving story of youth and friendship, Smith brings the same unique, lyrical quality to Just Kids as she has to the rest of her formidable body of work—from her influential 1975 album Horses to her visual art and poetry.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Jul 26, 2011
• ISBN: 9780062111678

Patti Smith

Patti Smith (Chicago, 1946) es escritora, cantante y artista visual. Obtuvo un gran reconocimiento en la década de 1970 con la difusión de su poesía y su rock. Ha publicado doce álbumes, entre ellos Horses, considerado uno de los cien mejores de todos los tiempos por la revista Rolling Stone. Smith realizó su primera exposición de dibujos en el Gotham Book Mart en 1973, fue representada por la Robert Miller Gallery durante tres décadas y sus muestras retrospectivas han tenido lugar en el Andy Warhol Museum, la Fondation Cartier y el Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art. Entre sus libros cabe destacar la historia de su relación con el fotógrafo Robert Mapplethorpe: Éramos unos niños (Lumen, 2010, 2025), galardonada con el National Book Award, Witt, Babel, Tejiendo sueños (Lumen, 2014), El mar de Coral (Lumen, 2012), Augurios de inocencia (Lumen, 2019), M Train (Lumen, 2016), Devoción (Lumen, 2018), El año del Mono (Lumen, 2020), El libro de los días (Lumen, 2023) y Pan de ángeles (Lumen, 2025), nombrado uno de los mejores libros de 2025 por The New Yorker. En 2005, el ministro de Cultura francés le concedió el título de Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres, el mayor honor otorgado a un artista por la República francesa. Entró en el Rock & Roll Hall of Fame en 2007. Smith se casó con el músico Fred Sonic Smith en Detroit en 1980. Tuvieron dos hijos: Jackson y Jesse. La autora, que en 2020 recibió el Premio al Servicio Literario Pen America, reside en Nueva York.

Reviews for Just Kids

[Katie · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Phenomenal. A very moving book, and interesting. Definitely cried at the end.

[catalinami198 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It was better than I expected and definitely a book everyone should read in their 20s.

[Dana Snow · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

So eloquent, inspiring, and filled with true love and friendship. Thank you for narrating Patti. Xo

[dbsovereign · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Robert Mapplethorpe's death has brought Patti Smith the vehicle for transmuting this tale of their entwined paths into a luminous poetic memoir. This is a gut-wrenching tale full of sound and fury that resonates on so many levels. Smith hammers every word of their story against the anvil of a bard – every word counts, every word conveys its intended meaning. The dreamlike encounters with the likes of Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin just add to the mythic grandeur of it all. Being in the right place at the right time helped, but these ‘kids’ each filled the shoes of heroic opportunism with genius. This is an inspiring elegy to a friend and an era.

[Jon Rapp · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Love how Pati reads this. Wow. thank you for sharing. It’s beautiful.

[André · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Beautiful book! Truly a piece of art ?❤️
I really enjoyed the narration of the audiobook.

[Sierra · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Eloquently written heartfelt and insightful view into the world of Patti Smith.

[alex · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

4.5
I loved listening to the story of an aspiring -something in the moment of the great music and artistry revolution, also the deep relationship between two beings merged into one that could never part from each other. It was beautiful and real and heartbreaking. But the second to last chapter gets kinda rambly that’s why I didn’t give it 5*, still you should listen to this; worth the hype.

[Jess vallone · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

thank you patti smith and robert. this book changed my life.?

[Michael Scher · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Amazing picture of deep and abiding friendship, not to mention an incredibly poignant trip down the streets of 1970s/80s downtown NYC and the outliers’ scene. Thanks for sharing, Patti.

[timjones_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A well written book which I nevertheless found increasingly frustrating: Patti Smith's portrayal of her long relationship with Robert Mapplethorpe, and their mutual circle of poets, artists and musicians, is deep and tender, but what I really wanted to know about was the Patti Smith Group era, and after lots of tantalising lead-up, this is almost entirely skipped over - so as far as I was concerned, the book was like an LP where all the best music had been swallowed by the hole in the middle.

[Brenda Gilbert · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Moving, powerful testimony to love in all its beautiful forms.

[M. Bronzan · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Growing up in a home filled with music and art, Patti and Robert’s work was often a topic of discussion in our house. Not in judgement but in observation, awareness, and perspective. This book was such a loving tribute to the love and respect they had for each other. The devotion to their vision... pushing through uncertainty with the encouragement of the other....a true union of hearts. The blessing was to have Patti as the reader. On a deep and heartfelt level I have been changed. Thank you.

[maowangvater · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Smith’s memoir of her life and her relationship with Robert Mapplethorpe from their first meeting in New York in 1967 until his death in 1989 is filled with scenes of bohemian life New York City in the late 1960s and early 1970s told in Smith’s own voice. It’s also a fascinating look at the avant-garde art scene and the social life surrounding it at the time. It also chronicles their transition from visual artists whose primary expression were drawing, painting, and sculpture to poet and rock star for Smith and notorious and simultaneously critically acclaimed photographer for Mapplethorpe. The title comes from an encounter that the couple had with some tourists during a stroll through Washington Square in 1967.We were walking toward the fountain, the epicenter of activity, when an older couple stopped and openly observed us. Robert enjoyed being notices, and he affectionately squeezed my hand.“Oh, take their picture,” said the woman to her bemused husband, “I think their artists.”“Oh, go on,” he shrugged. “They’re just kids.”

[bogopea · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Well-written. Interesting story of "back in the day".

[kymmac · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Easily readable due to voyeuristic factor, but also well written and thoughtful, with a great deal of detail and thought given to influences. Loved references to books, music, art. Totally jealous of her brass balls attitude at such a young age. Knew what she wanted and went straight for it. Sweet and touching elegy to Robert Mapplethorpe. Soulmates. Had a great time reading it.

[jamesmikealhill · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Late to the game, I know, but finally read this stylized account of Smith and Maplethorpe’s lifelong relationship. Well told and a quick read, it glides through the years with a heady dose of name dropping and causal sex and drugs—pretty much what you expect from rock and roll.

[bibleblaster · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a beautifully written story and a treat to hear Patti tell it herself. I remember the first time I ever heard Horses, and Easter was the soundtrack for freedom as I graduated from high school. This gave me some insight into what "Cowboy Mouth" was all about, too...a play she wrote with Sam Shepard that I was able to catch on a long-ago trip to New York. Hope she keeps writing. I'll keep reading (or listening)...

[froxgirl · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The audio book of this National Book Award winner, as read by Patti herself. is entertaining, joyous, and sorrowful. That New Jersey accent! I am the same age and grew up in a suburb of NYC, but I never ended up sleeping on stoops or in Central Park, which Patti does when she leaves her South Jersey working class family and throws herself into creating art in NYC. On her first night in the city, she meets Robert Mapplethorpe in a crash pad, and they immediately become determined to find success in art and poetry. They're mostly starving and scrounging until they scare up enough funds to rent the smallest room at the notorious Chelsea Hotel, and by hanging out in the lobby and at the El Quijote restaurant next door, they meet musicians, elder beat poets, artists, junkies, and denizens of Andy Warhol's Factory. They stay romantically attached until Robert gives in to his attraction to men, but they remain the most loyal and loving friends. Robert insists that only fame will validate his talent. Patti is shy and only a new Keith Richards haircut brings her out and gains the attention of major and minor celebrities, which is as negligible to her as it is important to Robert. Her narrative, with that unique accent, is simultaneously thrilling and heartbreaking. Despite the tragic ending of Patti's mysterious move to Detroit and Robert's death, listening is a true pleasure and I wanted it to never end.

[Sabby Sidd · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Paintings of naked people urinating in each others mouth that was Roberts creativity. This is disgusting and I do not understand and I fail to understand and I will never understand and know that I will never appreciate that Patti Smith did not find that sick gross and disgusting

[caedocyon · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Not as interesting as I thought it would be. A shallow and uncomplicated (if lovely) picture of the kind of perfect boho life everyone wishes they'd lived in the '60s. Didn't quite manage to finish it, but I'm counting it anyway.

[chriscodc · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Lives up to the hype. A remarkable story, full of love, heartache, and pain, exquisitely told. I was so glad I finally got around to reading this.

[nanettels · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

More than a memoir,more than autobiography or biography, this is a chronicle of a artistic and cultural era. The story of Patti Smith's intense and long-term relationship with Robert Mappelthorpe is the stuff of legends. I was only familiar with them as icons of the 60s and 70s. Now I have a much deeper picture of that era. Yes, it could have been better edited and shorter but that would have detracted from their story.

[amanda4242_1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Just boring name dropping.

[macha_4 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

okay, i'm very late coming to this, though interested in both Patti and Robert Mapplethorpe, and beyond them in the whole late 60s-early 70s scene in New York City. but it's rather wonderful, and beautifully laid out and written, one of the best memoirs i've ever read, with not a word misplaced or wasted.

[library_lin · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Like several of the other reviewers I have read, Patti Smith has never been a big influence on me. I came of age around the time her career as a musician was becoming established. While I was a huge fan of many of her contemporaries and even some of her friends (Jim Carroll, Todd Rundgren, etc.), I was not a fan of her music. I found it too harsh. But I never took the time to listen to the lyrics. I thought she was just a rebel, pushing the envelope and that people liked her because of her "cool punk persona."

After reading this book, I do not think it was an artificial persona at all. In fact, I found Smith a captivating personality with a deep tender streak. I had not realized how obsessed she was with good literature and art.

The writing is captivating. Her devotion to Robert Maplethorpe was sweet. I think she does a great job of helping the reader understand the depth and beauty of a human being that many find so controversial. She turns Maplethorpe's life into a work of art. She doesn't hide the sometimes ugly side of their relationship and she does not romanticize the environment they developed in. Of course, it was fascinating to read about the people she met, like Jimi Hendrix and Janice Joplin, but more interesting to me was seeing how two young people developed from budding artists to huge influences.

It had me crying at the end. And yes, I am now a Patti Smith fan.

[andjhostet-527429 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Fantastic memoir from Patti Smith. Coming of age story of Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe. Her writing has a very poetic quality to it (unsurprisingly, being an incredible lyricist and poet) and it is very well written. I loved hearing about the NYC art scene in the late 60's and early 70s, that was fascinating to me.

I do wish there was more about her musical period. There was very little on that. Most of it covered her life before she got into music. I will probably check out more from her.

[equestrienne · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I first became aware of Patti Smith in the summer of 1978, when Because the Night played on my radio and caught my attention by sounding so different than the other songs. The summer was otherwise dominated by the sounds of Foreigner, Styx, Kansas, Boston……….maybe Journey was already around by then, I don’t know, but I hated those bands back then and still do. The music I wanted to hear wasn’t played on the radio. I read about the music I wanted to hear, and the obscure new bands who created it, by picking up rock magazines at the 7-11 and reading stories by Lester Bangs. Patti Smith was kind of like the Talking Heads……cool new music that the radio stations would actually play. I had to go out and buy the Ramones and Sex Pistols albums unheard, but some bands were getting through the febrile mustiness of corporate domination.

Patti inspired me by showing me a different way to be, a different way to look, a different way to live life; and she was the motivator for me to do something big. When I was nineteen I left the small, rural agricultural community where I was born and raised and went big time. New York City in 1984 was an overwhelming experience, it scarred me for life and I will always be grateful for that experience.

When I read this book, and Patti’s tale of being young and poor and struggling in New York, it took me back to my own memories of that period in my life. When Patti wrote about her heroes, Rimbaud, Baudelaire, etc; I understood what she was saying because I had heroes of my own. William Morris, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, John William Waterhouse, Victor Horta, W. B. Yeats were to me what Patti’s inspirational heroes were to her.

Patti has been and will continue to be a mentor for life. I want to thank her sincerely for sharing her life with us; I don’t think it could have been very easy to write about Robert and their relationship, the bittersweetness oozes off the page. At the end, I felt her loss, the ultimate sadness of losing a loved one, losing that person who represents fifty percent of so many important lifetime memories, losing that person who understands you completely and loves you anyway, losing that person who you can discuss anything with. That moment in life when you learn something funny and think, “Oh, I have to call him and tell him about this, he is going to love it!” and then you realize, no…..you can’t share anything with him anymore….you can’t make him laugh…….he is gone, forever.

I cannot write an objective review of this book, Patti wrote it, and I always love what Patti has to say, so I gave it five stars.

The bonus…..I had been unable to get my hands on a library copy of this book when I came across it on the local library “used book sale shelf”. I got my paperback copy for ten cents. When I finished the book, I said to myself, “I want more. Patti has lived such a life that there should be more memoirs to come.” I was instantly rewarded with the news that her second memoir, M Train, has been released and I am buying it right now.

Keep up the good work, Patti, and blessed be.

[smokler_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Heartbreakingly beautiful, sweet, healing. A must read, even for non-fans.

[carltonc_5 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

As another reviewer has put it, this book is a “Portrait of the Artist as a Young Woman” set in New York in the late sixties and early seventies. I recognised few of the names mentioned as coming into Smith’s life, but this didn’t lessen my enjoyment and appreciation of the book, so don’t be put off by unfamiliarity with the perceived subject matter; the subject is artistic growth which is fascinatingly, and beautifully, projected.
Smith has a way with words - just, enjoy.