Book Review: M-Train by Pattie Smith

      M-Train is singer,songwriter,National award-winning novelist Patti Smith's self-written memoir.Set in eighteen "stations" all around the globe from Europe,Asia to South America.

As Smith sets on expeditions to find the headstones of artists such as writers Osamu Dazai,Sylvia Plath,and director Akira Kurosawa among other ventures like her travel to Frida Kahlo's Casa Azul in Mexico' while taking coffee breaks to write and snap photos for what's to become of this story.

 A story which is not a continuation to 2010, Just Kids ,Smith's first self-written memoir,as many would have expected.Just Kids was set an earlier time frame between  '1960s to early '70s at the upcoming of Smith's career and generalization as an artist.A novel dedicated to early lover and friend and artist Robert Mapplethorpe.The story is set in New York, at a time Beat writers influenced a whole new generation of lower class artists such as  Bob Dylan and Smith to became the aspirational artists they are today.

M-Train is a big time lapse between her upbringing as New York ,Beat artist to that which Smith has evolved to on this new recollection of dead poets and capital city names. M-Train is a continuation of Smith's life as an artist ,yet it takes a new dynamic as it remembers her husband , Fred "Sonic" Smith member of rock n' roll band MC5.

The story only manages to recall family affairs poorly as she only briefly recounts of now grown children and deceased husband,  establishing a tone of alienation and deprived grief for those she has lost.

M-Train is a lot like it's namesake metaphorically,a train recounting Smith's transitional memorable destination terminals,as well as time span that is briefly reminiscent of the Smith's past, life periods. The tone is told in a sedimentary ,and poetically manner of prose that makes reading her daily routines admirable.

A novel that holds a theme of lost and redemption of even the dearest material needs which in turn internalize the author's realization of a deep reconciliation  with what really is of matter in this life.

The Lady Who Creates Small Factories

The Lady Who Creates Small Factories

Roberta Masciarelli is an artist from Brazil,who is based in Dallas.Her RobeRoberta Masciarelli is an artist from Brazil,who is based in Dallas.Her work is a line of what she calls factories.All her work is mostly made from used and recyclable material.

A close up of Rota Felix(Wheel of Happiness).Which is an assemblage sculpture with found objects and repurposed materials.

Masciarelli standing over Officina Robustum(Robots Factory).

 Magnus Frater or Big Brother a sculpture piece is shown.

Masciarelli working in her studio.She is working on her Factory of Youth.Her work place is surrounded by all kinds of found and bought material.

 Roberta Masciarelli ,works on her Officina de Juvenes or as she told me Factory of Youth.

 Marciarelli’s studio is located at the Octopus Corridor in Valley View Center in Dallas.Unfortunately her studio like many other artists will be shut down as the center plans  shutdown completely.plans  shutdown completely.at she calls factories.All her work is mostlRoberta Masciarelli is an artist from Brazil,who is based in Dallas.Her work is a line of what she calls factories.All her work is mostly made from used material.y made from used material.work is a line of what she calls factories.All her work is mostly made from used material.

Truckin' : Inside the Grateful Dead's Tour Bus

Truckin' : Inside the Grateful Dead's Tour Bus

The Grateful Dead Bus was found on a obsolete road known for prostitution ,drug handling and other atrocities in the North Dallas Location.

The Grateful Dead's Tour bus circa 1967-1985.

Inside the bus;the roof of the bus covered in posters.

A short photo story on feminism and sisterhood

 A photo story on feminism and sisterhood.
Re-defining the strengths of feminism based on color and nature of being a woman.

Abby holds a rosary and has the words my choice as a defilement of free choice of reproductions vs. the "christian" pro life activist.

Sisterhood:A photo that proclaims the strengths of feminism based on the motive of color.

Feminism is about being vulnerable as it is about being strong.It is about feeling beautiful as it about reclaiming your power.

The Spiritual Resonance in Musical Transcendence.

The Spiritual Resonance in Musical Transcendence.

At the time during the '60s  many bands were endorsing in spiritual reimbursement as part of the cultural revival .Mostly  bands like the Beatles ,who found their awakening in Middle Eastern spirituality.George Harrison ,especially was the most involved in the teachings of guru, Yogananda. Their music was then greatly impacted by their spiritual involvement,such as the use of the sitar and tabla which came from India . As a result ,George Harrison's single debut All Things Must Pass is strongly, religiously devoted.

 In 1979,  Bob Dylan troubled about his religious identity, became a religious advocate. After what he said was a vision, in which Jesus pursued him to be a prophet of his time being as a great rock icon to then influence the masses. In 1979, he released  Slow Train Coming ,a very gospel inspired debut in which he lost many fans yet gained a few more.

Patti Smith , someone whose music is largely affiliated with her Jehova Witness upbringing, has always infiltrated her music within the teachings of the Bible.Aside from the revoking opening lines of song Gloria ,from album Horses which she sang, "Jesus died for somebody sins but not mine", in which she proved to be part of the nihilism-aesthetic-period.The period in which the music generation was known as  CBGB .The CBGB generation established the aesthetic punk scene,by which they rejected any social conformations, firmly secular ,and were political cranks. Smith however, true to her faith wrote songs as "Waiting Underground", and "Jubilee" .In 1978,she named her third album Easter ,after the religious holiday.

All these musical icons  were plausible of spiritual negotiation.Then there was Lou Reed of the Velvet Underground with his abstract hunger for spirituality.  Lou Reed was not known to be a spiritual seeker ,but rather known for his decadence-prestige-persona.Reed's resonance for spirituality was not in the terms of enlightenment. He simply and reluctantly stumbled upon "the gospel" from time to time. Times when the Velvets wrote songs with feelings in relation to religious conceptions such as pain,sin,lust,love,redemption,and freedom.Within that time they came to release songs such as "Beginning to See the Light", "I'll be your Mirror ","Jesus", while "Heroin" and "Pale Blue Eyes" have religious connotations and implications.

Nihilism in music ,in the form of secular gratification,was what they  encouraged.As artists often seek to revolt the establishments of the elite that undermined their world.They however found that in the indulgence of the conscious-spirituality they gained to obtain transcendence of a God. A transcendence that was communal as their idea of promoting their art for love and coping of life.

George Harrison-My Sweet Lord

The Beatles-Across the Universe

The Beatles -Inner Light

Bob Dylan-Pressing On

Bob Dylan-Gates of Eden

Patti Smith-Mercy is

Patti smith-Waiting Underground

Patti Smith-Jubilee

The Velvet Underground-beginning to the Light

The Velvet Underground -Jesus

 The Velvet Underground-I'll Be Your Mirror

Poem To David Bowie

Death:01/11/2016


To David Bowie

Far above the world
this planet is much  blue ,
there's nothing you can do.

Your nebula waltz,
once entranced us to dance.
 You've left that stance,
gave your last dance.

enamored entrance
were your red giant days,
drawn in by vibrant stance.

lighting king,
your strokes were far from this world.
Ascended within the rest of us,
set standards for new gods.

Made the ridiculed mind
the chosen one.
Undefined by gender,
reinvented free love.

King of beauty,
has made his leave.
The elusive universe waits for thee,
white darf star  ,
white glow descends you.
will never forget you.