Erica Kent’s Black Dog: Led Zeppelin, Addiction and Recovery
Erica Kent’s Black Dog is a raw, darkly funny coming-of-age novel set against the soundtrack of 1980s Boston. In this episode of Booked On Rock, Kent reveals that the idea for the novel can be traced back to an image she had of an underage girl waiting to buy alcohol while Led Zeppelin’s “Black Dog” played in the background. From there, she created Jessica Ryder, whose story begins at age 11 with the murder of John Lennon and follows her through adolescence, addiction, complicated relationships and ultimately recovery. Music is woven throughout Jessica’s journey, with Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, the Grateful Dead, the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Neil Young and Jimi Hendrix becoming part of the soundtrack to her life.
In my conversation with Erica Kent, we explore the personal experiences behind Black Dog, why rock music can become so deeply connected to our memories, and the complicated relationship between rock culture and substance use. Kent also discusses getting sober at 20, a later relapse that changed her understanding of addiction, and why recovery doesn’t require leaving the music you love behind. She explains why Black Dog deliberately avoids a simple descent-and-redemption narrative, instead portraying addiction and recovery as messy, contradictory and deeply human.
