In the period where I had to live the life of a citizen - a life where, like everybody else, I did tons of laundry and cleaned toilet bowls, changed hundreds of diapers and nursed children - I learned a lot.
Patti Smith

Jesus died for somebody's sins but not mine.
Patti Smith

Let's just say that I think any person who aspires, presumes, or feels the calling to be an artist has a built-in sense of duty.
Patti Smith

Maybe I'll be 48 and die in the gutter in Paris.
Patti Smith

Mohammed personally mapped out seven heavens. If he got to seven, you know there's more.
Patti Smith

My mother answers all my fan mail.
Patti Smith

My sunglasses are like my guitar.
Patti Smith

Never let go of that fiery sadness called desire.
Patti Smith

No, my work does not reflect my sexual preferences, it reflects the fact that I feel total freedom as an artist.
Patti Smith

People have the power to redeem the work of fools.
Patti Smith

Rock n' roll is dream soup, what's your brand?
Patti Smith

Somehow I started introducing writing into my drawings, and after a time, the language took over and I started getting very involved with the handwriting and then the look of the handwriting.
Patti Smith

The new artists coming through were very materialistic and Hollywood, not so engaged in communication.
Patti Smith

Then I read Little Women, and of course, like a lot of really young girls, I was very taken with Jo - Jo being the writer and the misfit.
Patti Smith

Those who have suffered understand suffering and therefore extend their hand.
Patti Smith

When I was younger, I felt it was my duty to wake people up. I thought poetry was asleep. I thought rock 'n' roll was asleep.
Patti Smith