Tone Madison
Rose’s book is a worthy exploration, and likely a revelatory one to even longtime Smith fans for the sheer volume of work there is...Rose doesn’t just fill in the gaps. She puts all of that in the context of a broader canvas of an artist’s life.
No Depression
Rose dives deep into Smith’s music and memoirs in this beautifully crafted book to illustrate why Smith’s work 'matters' and its power to transform.
Rebellious Magazine
[Rose's] analytical approach to research, along with her undying fandom...make her the perfect person to unpack Smith’s music and poetry in an engaging work that is a scholarly page-turner.
"15 of the best music books of 2022" Irish Examiner
Rose calls Smith a hero, a goddess, a field marshal, a saint. You will be left in no doubt about her oeuvre afterwards.
Foreword Reviews
An enjoyable retrospective of Smith's career...Throughout, Rose threads her own experiences of, and thoughts about, each stage of Smith’s career in. She recounts thrilling concert experiences, parses why a particular song did or did not connect with her, and defends Smith from dismissive critics. Her personal connection, combined with her critical analyses, add a valuable layer, taking the book beyond a retelling of Smith’s storied trajectory and turning it into something more specific and meaningful. Part biography, part memoir, Why Patti Smith Matters tells the music icon’s story through the eyes of a knowledgable lifelong fan, demonstrating how much Smith and her music still matter nearly fifty years after Horses signaled the rock poet’s arrival.
The Aquarian Weekly
Why Patti Smith Matters covers [Patti Smith's] importance in 248 pages. It’s long enough to state the case and not too long to dissuade readers. It’s an ideal combination of biography, personal musings, and dissertation...This book gave me all the feels - more adoration for the subject and a new found kinship with the wordsmith. Why Patti Smith Matters belongs in your bookcase if you’re a melomaniac or love the art of great storytelling.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
With Why Patti Smith Matters, Caryn Rose shows how Patti Smith’s work taught us how to fight the good fight outside of society.
Vol. 1 Brooklyn
If you’re looking for a distillation of Smith’s importance and influence, there are few writers who seem better-suited than Caryn Rose, making this new book a perfect blend of author and subject.
Library Journal
04/01/2022
In this installment in the University of Texas series on individual musicians (Why Solange Matters; Why Karen Carpenter Matters), an awestruck Rose extols the work of New York punk icon Patti Smith (b. 1946). The music journalist (B-Sides and Broken Hearts) cobbles together a bare-bones sketch of Smith's life: her New Jersey childhood, her move to New York City, her relationships with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe and playwright Sam Shepard, and her rise to fame as a hardworking, innovative rock poet who recorded the groundbreaking Horses (1975). The book covers Smith's 1980s retreat from the rock and roll spotlight; her initial foray back into music in 1988; her complete return in 1995 with records, tours, poetry readings, and best-selling books (Just Kids; M Train), which Rose touts uncritically; and Smith's impact on Rose's own psyche and development as a feminist. Without direct involvement from Smith or exhaustive research, however, the author resorts to an unbridled, opinionated stream of consciousness that never addresses the promise of the book title and will frustrate Smith die-hards and other rock fans. VERDICT Readers will be better served by Victor Bockris and Roberta Bayley's Patti Smith: An Unauthorized Biography. Not recommended.—Dr. Dave Szatmary
