Tag: empathy

On April 12, 2007, I had two phone calls with Patti Smith for a print piece about both her then-new album, Twelve, which features her interpretations of songs by other artists, and her life and work. We were originally only meant to speak once but, after a publicist cut us off after 25 minutes, Patti told me she found my questions thoughtful, asked for my phone number, and promised to call me later that night to talk further, after she was done the press junket she was on. Roughly four hours later, she called me back and we spoke for another 35 minutes. I still marvel at this kindness and respect she displayed to me, a young, green journalist she felt some connection with. We were both ailing with a stubborn, recurring cough and cold that day, which we commiserated over, but we also talked about Jimi Hendrix and Bob Dylan, how Donald Trump and other real estate developers were ruining New York City, Robert Mapplethorpe’s role in her work, gravitating to male musicians, losing her husband Fred “Sonic” Smith and balancing work and raising a family, what the future held, and more.

To hear this entire 60 minute conversation, subscribe to Kreative Kontrol on Patreon at the $6 tier or higher (a reminder that an annual subscription includes a discount compared to a monthly one).

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