At a press conference in Spain, Patti Smith discussed the influence of Chilean writer Roberto Bolaño, calling him a guide to her creative work. Smith said she continues to reread Bolaño's novel 2666 and treats the experience as a lesson in writing. The book, which combines a literary investigation with episodes of extreme violence, has remained a reference point for her. She described rereading it as a way to keep learning from a difficult and influential text. Her comments portrayed the relationship with an author as an active and continuing creative practice. Smith also used the appearance to criticize U.S. policy. The press conference covered both political objections and the lasting influence of literature on her work.