Just KidsJust Kids
Score Modern
What it's about
In 1967, Patti Smith, then twenty, arrived in New York with almost nothing and met Robert Mapplethorpe, a young art student. They became lovers, then lifelong friends and creative partners, living hand to mouth in Brooklyn and then in the Chelsea Hotel among the artists, poets and musicians of the time. Smith tells the story of their years together as both of them found their art, she in poetry and rock and roll, he in photography, until his death from AIDS.
Why it's worth reading
It won the National Book Award for nonfiction. It's a tender portrait of a friendship and of the New York of the late '60s and '70s, written by someone who was at the center of it.
You'll love it if you liked
Educated: A Memoir
The Glass Castle
The Year of Magical ThinkingGood to know
You don't need to know Smith's music to love it. It's elegiac and personal, not a rock-and-roll tell-all.
By the numbers
- Readers82 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics69 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller61 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #28 of the 290 memoirs and biographies we rank
- #81 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #151 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story, Moving
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Quick answers
Is Just Kids worth reading?
Yes. It won the National Book Award for nonfiction. It ranks #151 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 84.8 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Just Kids about?
In 1967, Patti Smith, then twenty, arrived in New York with almost nothing and met Robert Mapplethorpe, a young art student. They became lovers, then lifelong friends and creative partners, living hand to mouth in Brooklyn and then in the Chelsea Hotel among the artists, poets and musicians of the time. Smith tells the story of their years together as both of them found their art, she in poetry and rock and roll, he in photography, until his death from AIDS.
How long does it take to read Just Kids?
About 8 hours (320 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has Just Kids won?
National Book Award (Nonfiction) winner (2010).
What should I read after Just Kids?
If you liked it, try Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover, The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls or The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion.