Patti Smith presented several excerpts from her autobiography “Just Kids” last night, April 19 at the University of Houston’s Cullen Performance Hall. She also performed a few songs, fielded questions, and recited a poem.

She told us about her first encounter with Allen Ginsburg—he bought her a sandwich and a cup of coffee and mistook her for a “very pretty boy.” She liked Gilda Radner’s portrayal of her on SNL and said, “It’s true, I do brush my arm hair.” There were recounts of Jim Carroll, Jeff Buckley, and several of Robert Maplethorpe. “Greatful” was written after a vision she had of Jerry Garcia. “You know, like you would see Jesus in a potato chip,” she said. She recalled the first time she heard her Springsteen collaboration “Because the Night” playing to the public. She then sang it a cappella and we sang along.