Michael Stipe has compiled a list of his 10 favourite books.
Stipe selected his list as part of One Grand, a new bookshop installation devised by magazine editor Aaron Hicklin for which he asked people to name the 10 books they’d take with them if they were marooned on a desert island.
Actress Tilda Swinton and Carrie Brownstein of Sleater-Kinney have already contributed lists.
Stipe’s top 10:
Complete Works by Arthur Rimbaud
On The Road by Jack Kerouac
Dhalgren by Samuel R Delaney
Breakfast Of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut
All Families Are Psychotic by Douglas Coupland
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
Play It As It Lays by Joan Didion
Four Plays by Aristophanes translated by William Arrowsmith
Bonjour Tristesse by Françoise Sagan
Just Kids by Patti Smith
About Smith’s book, Stipe said, “Because I’m reading it as I write this, and it’s amazing.”
Smith has been in the news recently, as he memoir Just Kids is to be turned into a TV mini series for Showtime.
Smith will adapt her memoir with John Logan, who is showrunner on the cable network’s series, Penny Dreadful.
Aa yet, there have been no casting announcements made as to who will play Smith in the series.
The announcement was made by Sowtime president David Nevins during the Television Critics Association’s summer press tour.
The Hollywood Reporter quotes Nevins as saying, “Just Kids is one of my favorite memoirs of all time.
“Not only is it a fascinating portrait of artists coming of age, but it’s also an inspiring story of friendship, love and endurance. I’m so thrilled that Patti Smith will bring her unique voice to writing the scripts along with the gifted John Logan, who has been doing such a phenomenal job with Penny Dreadful for us.”
In a statement, Patti Smith said, “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.
“The medium of a television limited series offers narrative freedom and a chance to expand upon the themes of the book.”
Meanwhile, Smith’s new memoir, M Train, is due to be released on October 6.
On October 27, HarperCollins will also release an updated, expanded edition of 1998’s Patti Smith Collected Lyrics, featuring thirty-five new songs, new artwork, as well as an introduction from Smith herself.
Smith returns to the UK to play two shows at London’s Roundhouse on October 30 and 31. The shows are part of her tour celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Horses album.
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