【書】Patti Smith《Just Kids》（只是孩子）
Everybody passing through here is somebody, if nobody in the outside world.
之前讀Daisy Jones & The Six時，裡頭的角色吸毒開趴的事蹟讓我忍不住想問：「六零年代的搖滾樂手真的都那麼瘋狂嗎？」
在《Just Kids》裡，Patti Smith告訴我：「是的，就是這麼瘋狂。」
《Just Kids》是藝術家Patti Smith的回憶錄，寫她與好友Robert Mapplethorpe的故事。兩人於六零年代的紐約相遇，對藝術有著共同想法的他們一拍即合。他們成為彼此的繆思，為對方也為自己創作。年少的他們身無分文，努力在紐約這座殘酷又充滿危險的城市生存。即使貧窮、失意，他們還是堅持創作，相信自己的才華，努力朝著藝術家的目標前進。
我很喜歡Patti Smith筆下的紐約。她與Robert當時的生活過得很辛苦，但紐約蓬勃的藝術文化代表她並不孤單。書中我最喜歡的章節是藝術家群集的Chelsea Hotel。Patti與Robert住在旅館內的小房間裡，從其他藝術家那裡汲取經驗、一同創作。Patti是來紐約追逐夢想的人的縮影，要在這座城市成功很難，可是機遇也很多。只要足夠固執，並願意一試，每一個人都有機會。
《Just Kids》從Patti與Robert的年少時期，寫到兩人成名前。有趣的是，Robert後來是以攝影出名，Patti則是以搖滾樂，但他們一開始卻是以繪畫為創作主軸。在紐約的生活讓他們接觸到不同的媒介，一點一點地改變他們的創作軌跡 — — 原本只寫詩的Patti在因緣際會下，將朗讀詩作的表演結合搖滾樂，最後組成了樂團；Robert的裝置藝術需要用到照片，因此他才開始拍照，沒想到攝影卻成為他主要的創作。
在他們成功的背後，是多年的摸索與嘗試。Patti一步步將自己帶往適合自己的創作之路，憑著直覺抓住每一個機會，讀來很勵志也很令人感動。
Patti與Robert從戀人變成朋友，始終是對方創作時的「繆思」，能這樣了解另一個人的靈魂，是多麽難能可貴的事。Patti寫起Robert的筆調好溫柔，能感受到兩人之間強烈的連結與愛。
Patti寫Robert的早逝，同時也寫其他人的 — — 那些來紐約打拼的人，並不是每個都能見到自己成名，有些屈服於貧困，有些屈服於毒品，有些則得了愛滋病。Patti用自身的經驗，紀錄那一個時代的人的夢想，即使並不是每一場夢都能實現，但至少現在人們知道這些夢曾經存在過。
讀這本的過程總會想起Lou Reed（他在本書中也有出場呢XD）的歌Walk on the Wild Side——也許是因為對我來說，讀《Just Kids》就像在紐約瘋狂地活過一遭一樣。
New York City is the place where they said
“Hey babe, take a walk on the wild side”
He wasn’t certain whether he was a good or bad person. Whether he was altruistic. Whether he was demonic. But he was certain of one thing. He was an artist. And for that he would never apologize. (P. 22)
Where does it all lead? What will become of us? These were our young questions, and young questions were revealed.
It leads to each other. We become ourselves. (P. 79)
We promised that we’d never leave one another again, until we both knew we were ready to stand on our own. And this vow, through everything we were yet to go through, we kept. (P. 88)
I was there for these moments, but so young and preoccupied with my own thoughts that I hardly recognized them as moments. (P. 159)
It seemed as if the whole of the world was slowing being stripped of innocence. Or maybe I was seeing a little too clearly. (P. 169)
I would go as far as I could and hit a wall, my own imagined limitations. And then I met a fellow who gave me his secret, and it was pretty simple. When you hit a wall, just kick it in. (P. 170)
We were as Hansel and Gretel and we ventured out into the black forest of the world. There were temptations and witches and demons we never dreamed of and there was splendor we only partially imagined. No one could speak for these two young people nor tell with any truth of their days and nights together. Only Robert and I could tell it. Our story, as he called it. And, having gone, he left the task to me to tell it to you. (P. 288)
