Why Patti Smith Matters

Patti Smith arrived in New York City at the end of the Age of Aquarius in search of work and purpose. Through her poetry, her songs, her unapologetic vocal power, and her very presence as a woman fronting a rock band, she kicked open a door that countless others walked through. No other musician has better embodied the "nothing-to-hide" rawness of punk, nor has any other done more to nurture a place in society for misfits of every stripe.

Why Patti Smith Matters is the first book about the iconic artist written by a woman. Veteran music journalist Caryn Rose contextualises Smith's creative work, her influence, and her wide-ranging and still-evolving impact on rock and roll, visual art, and the written word. Rose delves deep into Smith's oeuvre, from her seminal first album, Horses, to acclaimed memoirs operating at a surprising remove from her music. A portrait of a ceaseless inventor, Why Patti Smith Matters rescues punk's poet laureate from "strong woman" clichés. Of course, Smith is strong. She is also a nuanced thinker; a maker of beautiful and challenging things; a transformative artist who has not simply entertained but has also empowered millions.