WHY PATTI SMITH MATTERS

Through her poetry, songs, unapologetic vocal power, and presence as a woman fronting a rock band, Patti Smith kicked open a door that countless others followed her 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. Veteran music journalist Caryn Rose contextualizes Smith's creative work, her influence, and her wide-ranging and still-evolving impact on rock and roll, visual art, and the written word.