Saturday, February 2, 2019

Nine books about coming of age in a city

Dana Czapnik is the author of The Falconer: A Novel.

At Electric Lit she tagged some of her favorite novels featuring kids or young adults coming of age in cities, including:
Just Kids by Patti Smith

Just Kids, the rock legend Patti Smith’s memoir of her relationship with the artist Robert Mapplethorpe in New York in the 60s and 70s, is a symphony. It’s the story of falling in love for the first time with that part of your heart only accessible during youth. It’s a story of a young woman determined to create the right life for herself. It’s the story of a city at the epicenter of a movement, when there wasn’t much of a difference between the average beatnik and the one who got famous — a city run by kids. It’s a story about two people discovering and cultivating their art. It’s a story about choosing poetry. Just Kids should be required reading for everyone aged 20, on the cusp of everything. It’s a manual for navigating the pain and the reward that comes with being fully open to life.
Read about the other entries on the list.

Just Kids is among Dan Holmes's twenty best memoirs written by musicians.

--Marshal Zeringue