Remember that time we told you that we wanted Patti Smith’s incredible 2010 memoir Just Kids to be adapted for the screen? Well, guess what? It’s actually happening. The National Book Award-winning autobiography has been ordered by Showtime to be turned into a limited series for television.
The immersive memoir, which we included on our list of top ten music memoirs, focuses on the unique relationship between Patti Smith and New York photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, up until he passed away in 1989 during the AIDs epidemic. And while we would usually be apprehensive about the much-loved book being turned into a TV series, Patti Smith will be co-producing, co-writing and overseeing the entire project.
In a statement following the announcement, Patti Smith explained: "A limited series on Showtime will allow us to explore the characters more deeply, enabling us to develop stories beyond the book and allow a measure of unorthodox presentation," she said. "The medium of a television limited series offers narrative freedom and a chance to expand upon the themes of the book."
The singer, poet and visual artist will also be releasing the book sequal to Just Kids, titled M Train, on October 6 via Knopf.
Read our DA-Zed guide to Patti Smith here
