New skating novel by Patti Smith

[Jennifer Lyon]

Punk rock legend Patti Smith has written a book about a figure skater!

http://www.miaminewtimes.com/arts/patti-smith-at-miami-book-fair-2017-november-13-9787446

The teenage protagonist in Devotion is a figure skater who, as an uprooted immigrant, moves fluidly through various spoken languages. The almost-16-year-old Eugenia, a precocious but academically disinterested girl, would rather commit her time to skating on the frozen pond behind her house. She's another example of Smith embracing experiences outside her own expertise. “My heroine has many abilities that I don’t have... I’ve never skated in my life, but I’ve been watching skaters since I was a child because my father loved skating and he was very athletic. I’ve always admired it.”

 

[OS]

Punk rock legend Patti Smith has written a book about a figure skater!

http://www.miaminewtimes.com/arts/patti-smith-at-miami-book-fair-2017-november-13-9787446

16-year-old Eugenia

Gee i wonder how she came up with the name LOL... it could be a fan fiction to Evgenia, and possibly *gulp* Morozov?

I would love someone come up with a punk rock program for Evegenia. That would be a great dynamic program for the sport. Although I think Elena would be even more natural for it.

 

[Jennifer Lyon]

16-year-old Eugenia

Gee i wonder how she came up with the name LOL... it could be a fan fiction to Evgenia, and possibly *gulp* Morozov?

I would love someone come up with a punk rock program for Evegenia. That would be a great dynamic program for the sport. Although I think Elena would be even more natural for it.

Or Tuktamysheva.

 

[brightphoton]

The almost-16-year-old Eugenia, a precocious but academically disinterested girl, would rather commit her time to skating on the frozen pond behind her house.

Oh, this sounds like a very interesting novel and I'd like to rea--

Eugenia catches the eye of Alexander, a cultured man in his late 30s who collects and curates rare manuscripts, artifacts, and firearms. He watches her voyeuristically and eventually entices her with a luxurious vintage fur coat, the training and resources necessary for elite figure skating, and the promise of artistic greatness. Alexander persuades Eugenia to live with him, and they begin a passionate sexual relationship.

 

[Sasha'sSpins]

Wow this is so out there for me, so surreal! My earliest childhood memory of Patti is her up on a stage on some tv show singing (or sneering?) the words 'Jesus died for somebody's sins but not mine!', and I remember her singing 'Because the Night'. I was way too young for the Punk Rock movement but I admired it as I was growing up! I read in some Rock mag about her doing uh Punk Rock type things ON stage too...Now she's written a book about a figure skater! I'm intrigued!

eta: Um, okay I just read the brief snippet from the book above. :disapp: Nevermind. Don't want to read sicko stuff...

 

[anonymoose_au]

Oh, this sounds like a very interesting novel and I'd like to rea--

Eugenia catches the eye of Alexander, a cultured man in his late 30s who collects and curates rare manuscripts, artifacts, and firearms. He watches her voyeuristically and eventually entices her with a luxurious vintage fur coat, the training and resources necessary for elite figure skating, and the promise of artistic greatness. Alexander persuades Eugenia to live with him, and they begin a passionate sexual relationship.

Wait? What? Gross...

I'm always on the look-out for figure skating novels but this one is a big Hell no. :disagree:

 

[moriel]

Honestly, why we would need fiction for this?
We already have Morozov in real life.

 

[nimi]

Honestly, why we would need fiction for this?
We already have Morozov in real life.

Did you read the whole article?

Then the story comes to a surprising, violent climax.

Smith says of the story’s twist: “It wasn’t supposed to end like that. I didn’t plan it. It was written in such a fervor. I was surprised at the way it was unfolding. I didn’t know what she would do, and then something snapped [in her]. "

A bit vague, but doesn't sound like there's "and then they got married" ending. More like "and then she grabbed the knife" kind of ending. Which I'd be fine with.