Is patti smith gay
James Patrick Carraghan
James Patrick Carraghan is an award-winning activist, scribe, librarian and scholar at Kutztown University in Pennsylvania. He spends his free time gardening, hording books and flirting. You can track him on tumblr at
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‘Jesus died for somebody’s sins but not mine.’
So begins Patti Smith’s debut album, Horses. Even though it was not an overnight achievement, the album has gone on to become one of the most iconic rock albums of all time, inspiring more and more imitators with each passing decade. The sound of the album is a combination of classic rock and roll, early punk experiments, and neo-Romantic poetry, seeped in queerness.
The album begins with a reimagining of Van Morrison’s ‘Gloria’ that is so good it is even better than the original. As with many of Smith’s covers, the lyrics have been slightly rewritten and feature Smith’s poetry as a supplement to the unique lyrics. Every ballad Smith covers becomes her own to a certain extent, existing in a world of co-creation between her and the
Patti Smith Defined Cool in Lesbian Bars of the ’80s
I pinballed between circles of lesbians but settled nowhere. Gorgeous women were everywhere but always out of reach in San Francisco’s mesmerizing haze.
C.J. Janovy
C.J. Janovy is a Kansas City-based journalist and the author of "No Place Like Home: Lessons in Activism from LGBT Kansas," winner of the Stubbendieck Great Plains Distinguished Publication Prize and a Lambda Literary Award finalist in LGBTQ nonfiction.
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It might be complicated to believe at first glance, given that legendary long, stringy hair, androgynous appearance, and her origins as a proto-punk poetess and singer dubbed &#;The Godmother of Punk.” But Patti Smith is not who she necessarily seems on the surface. She is an incredibly well-read woman, writer, photographer, and a true romantic with a tremendous aesthetic eye and love of beauty. While I cannot acknowledge to being a fantastic fan of her melody, I have watched and read many interviews with her, saw in her speak in public, and so an exhibit of her photographs at the Detroit Institute of Arts. There is so much to admire about her!
-She is highly cultured. This is the artist who considered Balzac to be her first love! Smith has made pilgrimages to the homes of various artists and writers around the world. She admires how Red Hot Chili Peppers’ guitarist Flea warms up with Bach runs. And one of her childhood heroes was Maria Callas. She loves going to bookstores and always talks about the manual she is reading in interviews. Patti Smith has spoken of how she really considers
[from "Opinion," A&U: America's AIDS Magazine, March ]
SET THE Document STRAIGHT
In the Mailbox section of the January '98 A&U, Ira Joel Haber ("Patti Bashing") attempts to demonstrate Patti Smith's homophobia by citing portions of Patricia Morrisroe's biography of Robert Mapplethorpe. It is distinct that Haber has very small knowledge of Smith's work and is merely relying on Morrisroe's ideas--interpretations which, instead of discovering Smith's homophobia, actually betray Morrisroe's prurient fixations.
Morrisroe's publication focuses heavily on Mapplethorpe's sexual practices. The author appears to be much more interested in unearthing lurid scatological details than exploring Mapplethorpe's work. Morrisroe does not even seem to respect Mapplethorpe as a photographer. By emphasizing and exploiting Mapplethorpe's sexuality, she implies that a queer artist should be studied in terms of his or her erotic activities instead of the works themselves. Such an assumption is homophobic.
In his letter, Haber mentions that, according to Morrisroe, Patti Smith was very upset when she foun