Even as she recuperates at home in New York City, Patti Smith keeps busy. To mend the two neckbones broken by that Tampa stage fall, Patti works out three times a week at the Nautilus Institute For Sport Medicine, where wounded athletes exercise.

She's also working on a book (Rat Art) of interviews, poems and photos compiled during the past year. And, Patti stays up until 2:30 each a.m. to watch The Saint on TV.

"\4ove Roger Moore," she enthused during one of my visits. "It's so great to finally have a hero who's alive. But," she added with a twinkle in her eye, "don't you think he looks a little bit like Rimbaud?"

Lying on the queen-sized bed covered with green and white checked sheets and a Moroccan bedspread Patti resembled a young longshoreman; wool cap covering the 29 stitches in her head, a striped boat-necked t-shirt that could easily be pulled over the neckbrace she's forced to wear for a few months, white "Jeff Beck" sneakers and rolled up old black gabardine slacks.

Surrounded by rock magazines, records, books, fan mail and dozens of presents, Patti talked incessantly as always. Although she's been through some difficult times since the accident, her spirit is as strong as ever—particularly when she talks about radio airplay.

Patti's bedroom is a visual banquet : a 1920 picture of Artaud, a photo of Brian Jones from circa Beggars Banquet, a pearl handled stiletto from Dee Dee Ramone, the complete works of Rimbaud, the complete—and signed —works of William Burroughs, Patti's Fender duo-sonic maple-neck guitar, Moroccan sheets covering the windows, a sacred ritual bell frpm Tibet given by Paul Getty, a bronze burner for frankincense, large Ethiopian baskets filled with silk rags, a real bakuba prayer rug from Allen Lanier.

And more. An old Lawrence of Arabia globe that glows in the dark, a Smith-Gorona typewriter, a Brian Jones scrapbook, the complete Works of 16th Century Japanese warrior Ninja Han, an 8x10 glossy pic of Rimbaud in Paris, a full color map of Ethiopia, books of photographs of Mosques of Iran, six copies of Jimi Hendrix' Electric Ladyland, one hand combed hair shirt from Abyssinia, several pairs of ballet slippers," and last—but certainly not least—(and this is just still the bedroom) 22 copies of Radio Ethiopia.

"My bed is the center of action," Patti said. "When Allen's away I sleep with' my guitar, typewriter and a few random notebooks. Oh, and my lion pipe—a pipe made from the clay found at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea and the little transistor radio Allen gave me.

"t also have postcards with dervishes on them, cardboard fret boards so I can learn stuff, and the monkey box where I keep my radiant dirt."

And, as if all this wasn't enough, gifts from fans include a tape of dervish CONTINUED FROM PAGE 50.

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prayers, a pale green silk party dress ("Some kid musta stole it from his mother," Patti says. "It looks like a Balenciaga"), Ethiopian instruments, 30 photos of Jim Morrison's grave, rare Crime magazines, sexy French fashion magazines, a handmade Raggedy Ann doll dressed just like Patti (even down to the black silk raincoat) and old Rolling Stones Hyde Park newspaper headlines.

Talking about the Stones, Patti was concerned that Keith's recent drug bust might prevent them from performing in the U.S. for a while: "If they can't tour here, I'll promote them. I'll go on the road and show Stones movies, play Stones songs; I could finally have the Rolling Stones as my opening act," she laughed.

"Really, if they ever did a Jean Genet arid threw Keith in jail, I'd stop thinking about my career moves and I'd do a Jane Fonda for him. I really mean it, I'll always be a Stones fan."

A large pool table dominates the living room and there's a big, empty white bird cage. ("Allen told me to go buy some furniture, so...") There are more records, more guitars and the Agents Of Fortune gold LP. "Oh, and here's a Charles Lindbergh autograph," Patti points out, "dated on Brian Jones' birthday," she adds significantly.

"Allen's getting me a 1792 Georgian desk," she told me, "with secret compartments and ink stains. And... look at these military ribbons I've gotten from fans for the field marshal..."

Even though she won't be able to go out on the road until this summer, Patti's planning to record another LP in May, with producer Jimmy Iovine. Some of the songs planned for this, her third album, are Otis Smith tunes like "Space Monkley" and "Seven Ways of Going" as well as new songs being worked out now.

If you want to send Patti a get well card, do so c/o Radio Ethiopia, Box 188, Mantua, NJ 08051.

(Portions of this column appeared in Lisa Robinson's syndicated "Rock Talk"column.)