YEAR OF THE MONKEY
Smith, Patti
New York: Knopf, 2019. First edition. Hardcover. A fine copy in a fine dust jacket. Following a run of New Yearâs concerts at San Franciscoâs legendary Fillmore, Patti Smith finds herself tramping the coast of Santa Cruz, about to embark on a year of solitary wandering. Unfettered by logic or time, she draws us into her private wonderland with no design, yet heeding signsâincluding a talking sign that looms above her, prodding and sparring like the Cheshire Cat. In February, a surreal lunar year begins, bringing with it unexpected turns, heightened mischief, and inescapable sorrow. In a strangerâs words, âAnything is possible: after all, itâs the Year of the Monkey.â For Smithâinveterately curious, always exploring, tracking thoughts, writingâthe year evolves as one of reckoning with the changes in lifeâs gyre: with loss, aging, and a dramatic shift in the political landscape of America. Smith melds the western landscape with her own dreamscape. Taking us from California to the Arizona desert; to a Kentucky farm as the amanuensis of a friend in crisis; to the hospital room of a valued mentor; and by turns to remembered and imagined places, this haunting memoir blends fact and fiction with poetic mastery. The unexpected happens; grief and disillusionment set in. But as Smith heads toward a new decade in her own life, she offers this balm to the reader: her wisdom, wit, gimlet eye, and above all, a rugged hope for a better world. Riveting, elegant, often humorous, illustrated by Smithâs signature Polaroids, Year of the Monkey is a moving and original work, a touchstone for our turbulent times. Illustrated from photographs.
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