Before the National Book Award-winning Just Kids, Patti Smith addressed the life and passing of her intimate friend, photographer Robert Mapplethorpe.

Through the linked pieces of The Coral Sea, Patti Smith honors her comrade-in-arms Robert Mapplethorpe (1946-1989). She tells the story of a man on an ocean journey to see the Southern Cross, who is reflecting on his life and fighting the illness that is consuming him. Metaphoric and dreamy, this tale of transformation arises from Smith's knowledge of Mapplethorpe from a young man to a mature artist; his close relationship with patron and friend, Sam Wagstaff; his years surviving AIDS; and his ascent into death. The Coral Sea is Smith's lyrically compelling recasting of her grief to recapture Mapplethorpe's life in the past and his future in his art. Rich in evocative details, it shows the man beneath the persona.

This edition features a new introduction and new material by Smith. 7 black-and-white photographs

Speaking of her close companion Robert Mapplethorpe, in the book’s preface Smith writes, “When he passed away [in 1989], I could not weep so I wrote. Then I took the pages and set them away. Here are those pages [published in 1996], my farewell to my friend, my adventure, my unfettered joy.”

Her elegy is a prose poem illustrated with photographs by Mapplethorpe. It’s his life as an imaginary cruse to the southern hemisphere. Image after image is piled into a sensual collage of biographical details, his contradictions, and the passion of his art. ( )

I liked this. You know how it goes... it's one thing to read a poem but another thing to read a whole book of poetry, and still another to read a book of free verse. This one definitely wanted reading as a whole, and fortunately it was a small thing and lent itself to doing so. It wasn't ground-breaking as far as the individual pieces were concerned, but very much all of a piece and held together nicely. Plus it's a very pretty little book, readable in a short sitting, and all its parts worked nicely. ( )

This review refers to the audiobook.
This is a live reading/ spoken word performance by Patti Smith of the poetry in her book The Coral Sea. The poems are about her friend, the artist, Robert Mapplethorpe and his illness and dying from AIDS. The poems tell the story of a dying man and his journey to see the southern cross.
I have loved Patti Smiths music and poetry since the 70s. Smith reads these poems with such urgency. With an eerie background soundtrack by Kevin Shields (My Bloody Valentine) on guitar and effects these poems are haunting. The first disc is better, more affecting, than the second disc. Recommended. ( )