Lenny Kaye With Rachel Felder: A Conversation

Lenny Kaye is an American guitarist, composer, record producer, and writer, and a founding member of Patti Smith and Her Band. In 2011, he was awarded the honor of Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by le Ministre de la Culture et de la Communication of France. Rock and roll was born in basements and garages, radio stations, and dance halls in cities where unexpected gatherings of artists and audiences changed and charged the way music was heard and celebrated. In Lightning Striking: Ten Transformative Moments in Rock and Roll (Ecco), Kaye offers an insider’s take on the evolution and enduring legacy of the music that rocked the 20th century. It’s a guided tour inside style and performance to see who’s on stage, along with the movers and shakers, the hustlers and hangers-on. He explores 10 crossroads of time and place that define the genre. Whether describing Elvis Presley’s Memphis, The Beatles’ Liverpool, Smith’s New York, or Kurt Cobain’s Seattle, Lightning Striking – informed by Kaye’s knowledge and experience – reveals the communal energy that creates a scene. Sweeping and detailed, it’s an ear-opening insight into our shared musical and cultural history.

Rachel Felder is an author and journalist who writes about style, art, and trends. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The New Yorker, Vogue, The Financial Times, Women’s Wear Daily, and many other publications. She has written five books, including Red Lipstick: An Ode to a Beauty Icon (HarperCollins). Felder will be at Miami Book Fair 2022 to moderate a conversation with Lenny Kaye, founding member of Patti Smith and Her Band, and the author of Lightning Striking: Ten Transformative Moments in Rock and Roll (Ecco).