The book that gave Henry Rollins writer’s block: “It was so good that I couldn’t write anymore”
Influence can work in one of two ways. Most of us can experience it when we hear music we like, watch something inspirational, or read something moving. After that, we want to create because of how much that piece of art has impacted us. On the other hand, something can be so influential that it becomes impossible to remove yourself from that piece of work.
Many bands struggle with this. For instance, if you go to a gig in Manchester, you will see a vibrant music scene full of many original artists; however, others cannot separate themselves from the musical giants that dominate the city’s scene. Many bands sound like Oasis or Stone Roses, and this is quite a negative form of inspiration.
Henry Rollins has never had a problem with originality in his music. Playing for bands like State of Alert and Black Flag, his mastery of lyricism and expression is something that many musicians dream of. He has a unique cadence and an ability to portray lyrics that give every musical outfit he fronts a sound that separates it from the rest of the crowd.
That being said, he is also aware of the toxic side of influence. He is also an author and is sent many books by those who are fans of him. Many of these authors have fallen into the trap of being so enamoured with his work that they are unable to separate what they do from what he does.
“I’ve seen some people who try and imitate me,” he said, “And a lot of people send me their indie-released books and tapes, and they write ‘Henry, I’m sorry if some stuff on this sounds like you, but you really influenced me, and I only started writing from reading one of your books.’”
While this issue goes against organic creativity, Rollins doesn’t get too annoyed at these writers, as he has also been in a similar situation. There was one book in particular that Rollins became so obsessed with that he had to reach out to the author and speak about how to separate their work. “I sought out Hubert Selby Jr.,” he said. “I hit a massive block after reading his novel Requiem for a Dream in 1986.”
He continued, “It was so good that I couldn’t write anymore. It choked me. It was like inhaling a brick. So I found him in the phone book. I said, ‘Sir, this sounds weird. You don’t know me, but is it possible to meet you? Requiem for a Dream has really fucked me up.’ And he said, ‘Here’s my address, come on over.’”
This is a persistent issue that people can have with influence, but once Rollins spoke to the author and used him as a mentor rather than someone to mirror, he got over the issue of being too attached to a piece of work. “He was a big inspiration to me. He taught me a lot about writing, just big lessons in life. Because that’s writing – how well you reflect how life comes into you and out of you.”
