1991 was a watershed for popular music—the year when the gains of punk and post-punk stormed the gates of the mainstream. Over the past few years, Patti Smith, the godmother of punk, has returned to this seminal period by recording cover songs from two landmark ‘91 albums. From Nirvana’s Nevermind (September ‘91)there’s a transporting remake of “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” and, now, from U2’s Achtung Baby (November ‘91), her interpretation of “Until the End of the World.”

The music video for Patti Smith’s amazing banjo-inflected remake of Nirvana’s roaring “Smells Like Teen Spirit.”

Punk poet, National Book Award winner, and Lavin speaker Patti Smith wrote the forward to a new reissue of Arthur Rimbaud’s A Season in Hell, to be published by New Directions Press, and featuring the original and iconic Alvin Lustig book cover design.

It’s been a great few months for Lavin speaker Patti Smith. She won the National Book Award for her memoir, Just Kids, and was named to TIME’s list of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. And this past Sunday, the godmother of punk made her dramatic television debut, starring as a Columbia University Mythology professor on Law & Order: CI. “I knew that it wasn’t going to be simple,” Smith told TV Guide, “but it was a little more daunting than I expected.” Read the story and watch video of Smith’s performance here.

Today, Patti Smith, the godmother of punk and award-winning author of Just Kids, was named to the TIME 100, the magazine’s annual list of the most influential people in the world. Michael Stipe, lead singer of R.E.M.—and probably the biggest Patti Smith fan on the planet—wrote the entry. Here they are, above, singing ”E-Bow the Letter.” Stipe speak-sings the verses, Patti sings the lilting, angelic chorus. The most underrated song of 1996! Congrats, Patti.