After enduring many decades of embarrassment and discomfort, the artist fnally admits that possessing the most common name in the English-speaking world has had a profound impact on his sense of self. Combining fragments of autobiography with interjections concerning confdence,self-doubt, fame,and the state of the world,BEING JOHN SMITH takes us on a confessional journey that addresses universal dilemmas as well as personal ones, revealing just how important a name can be.