“…and I trust my guitar…”
Patti Smith

Patti Smith and Me

Patti Smith burst into my world in 1978 via her album Easter. The driving energy and the lyrics fit well with my personal reflections, philosophy readings and humor. It was poetry. It challenged my beliefs. It was wild. I soon explored her music catalog backwards and then forwards. I soaked it in.

Horses, Radio Ethiopia, Easter. This was music that made statements; it delivered existential moments; it energized. Her voice was alternately strident or low and heavy. Much of it moved me. Some of it did not agree with me; some of it did not speak to me. But, even those bits, I respected. Since that time, Patti Smith has drifted in and out of my play lists. Some of her albums seemed more relevant to me than others. I built a digital collection, so that I could focus on what worked for me.

Guide to the exposition, presenting her Polaroid Land Camera photos

And out there in the real world she would periodically become manifest in my life in various ways. A few years ago, Patti Smith launched a revival tour with a show in Switzerland and there was a glowing review in the Swiss paper, Neue Zuericher Zeitung, that caught my eye and prompted a revival in my listening. In 2007, she recorded an iTunes Originals album with interviews and new editions of old songs that provided insights into her perspectives on life. In 2008, I visited an exposition of her art at the Fondation Cartier in Paris, a show that was anchored by a long series of photos that she had taken with a Polaroid Land camera. Again, there were parts of the show that really spoke to me (e.g., a lone horse in a barren field) and other bits that I did not “get”. Then, there were a few concerts in Paris that stirred up discussion with some of my friends, but I never managed to get tickets to these sold out shows.

And now, Patti is back with a recently released album entitled Banga (June 2012). The deluxe edition includes a hard cover book of photos, text and lyrics. The book tells the story of the development of the album and its intellectual underpinnings. The project draws on her recent travels and the art and writings that she encountered. The music and poetry of the album provide a fresh sound, at times mellow, but often with a certain energy and strength. It is a wonderful, mature artistic expression.

In accomplishing this project, she pursued some lines of exploration where I lack first-hand experience. For example, she visited sites in Italy associated with St Francis of Assis and she sailed on the Costa Concordia (the same ship that later ran aground and partially sank off of the coast of Italy early in 2012). Nonetheless, reading through the short book gave me goosebumps. Unbeknownst to me, she was also out exploring paths that I’d been down in the last few years in search of Mikhail Bulgakov and Constantine the Great.

Bulgakov Lives!

In Banga, Patti Smith tells of discovering Mikhail Bulgakov’s writings. Bulgakov was a great Russian writer of fiction that spoke to reality during the first half of the 20th century. His classic book The Master and Margarita is a tale of oppression under Stalin, but also Christ’s crucifixion, Satan’s return to the Earth, and a large black cat. At about the same time that Patti Smith was discovering Bulgakov, my dear friend Volodya G was pointing me to Bulgakov as well. The Master and Margarita instantly became one of my favorite books: it made me laugh and challenged me to reflect on history and religion. There were layers of meaning. It was splendid.

Patti Smith’s album title is a reference to Banga, Pontius Pilate’s dog in Bulgakov’s tale of The Master and Margarita. The dog is the one creature to whom Pilate could tell his woes about his blinding headaches and torment.

The entrance to Bulgakov’s Apartment House, now a museum and a place of pilgrimage for fans        (© Doug, 2009)

On one visit to Moscow, I made time for a pilgrimage to Bulgakov’s apartment, which is now a museum. The walls of the stairwell are covered with graffiti from devoted fans. The museum presents artifacts from his life. A docent patiently explained a few things to me about the collection despite my broken Russian language skills. I felt right at home. There was camaraderie between the visitors. I would not have been surprised to find a few Patti Smith fans among them.

Constantine and His Mom

Constantine’s Throne Hall in Trier, Germany            (© Doug, 2006)

Constantine the Great was the first Roman Emperor to convert to Christianity. In Banga, Patti Smith tells the story of a painting she saw in Italy that presents a view of Constantine’s dream, a story that is recounted in various ancient sources. It appears that Constantine had a dream or vision of the Christian cross, which encouraged him to emblazon this and symbols for Christ’s name on his army’s standards and shields at a decisive battle for control of Rome. The battle was won and Constantine initiated reforms that greatly improved the situation of Christians. Constantine’s reach was impressive, with military campaigns and periods of residence stretching from Britain to Italy to Anatolia. Thus, his religious reforms helped align the Christian Church with the State and promoted a far-reaching diffusion of its teachings and influence.

Haggia Sophia was the main cathedral in Constantinople (though it was built after Constantine’s time and was converted into a mosque after the Turkish conquest). Image is of a ticket to the museum from a visit in 1996.

Helen, the mother of Roman Emperor Constantine, accompanied him during his rise. In Trier, Germany, where he was resident for a time, there are still structures such as the emperor’s throne hall, where Helen may have walked. Sometime during 327-28 AD Helen visited Jerusalem. Legend has it that she supposedly found the true cross from Christ’s crucifixion under the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. She is also said to have found Christ’s seamless robe, a relic that was given to the church in Trier. Having visited Trier many times, the connection to Jerusalem really hit me when I later stood in the basement of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. So many have transited the ancient halls and chapels, in effect making the connection between Constantine, his mom, the spread of Christianity, and now perhaps Patti Smith!

A passage under the Church of the Holy Sepulcher (© Doug L., 2009)

A chapel in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher (© Doug L., 2009)

Fellow travelers

As I look back across several decades of life, it is surprising to me to see how often Patti Smith has cropped up. I have never met her, but I feel that she is a fellow traveler. She is 12 years ahead of me and has in some ways led the way, though at times our paths have also diverged. Still, her music, art and poetry have influenced me and over the years have become something familiar to which I periodically return. Life has taken many turns and, for me, the journey has conflated music, religion, art, poetry, history, and people like Constantine, his mom, Bulgakov and others, in a changing mix. While it can seem dark out there on the trail sometimes, I take comfort in knowing that there are fellow travelers exploring these places and that some of these folks are probably not too distant.