Musical memoirs and biographies are not my cup of tea, in part because so many of them celebrate eras in music that are of greater interest to Baby Boomers than to me. When someone publishes a 1,000 page unauthorized biography of Destiny's Child, I'll change my tune (no pun intended).

What I really love about Patti Smith's memoir Just Kids, however, is the way she is able to completely transcend the specifics of her life and her relationship with Robert Mapplethorpe in order to write a memoir that is simultaneously revealing and universal. It feels like you are getting glimpses into the otherwise private, closed-off lives of two extraordinary artists, but at the same time you really don't need to be a huge fan in order to find the story compelling. There is very little of the usual post-revisionist memoir life "moments," i.e. the events that in the opinion of the writer, were significant in their lives and coincidentally, can be concisely and effectively described in prose. What Just Kids manages to accomplish is a really intimate portrait of the life of an artist and writer, and in no way does it come across as the memoir of a famous person who is conscious of their image or brand.

I've really fallen in love with the audio book version of this, which is read by Patti Smith herself. Her gravelly voice and Jersey accent enhance every line and something about it has felt so perfect as the days are getting shorter and colder. Maybe it's that I'm wearing black jeans and boots again, so hearing her voice in my head just enhances the mood I'm already in.