Erica Kent’s debut novel Black Dog is a raw, darkly funny coming-of-age story about rock music, addiction, loss, and recovery in 1980s Boston. The story begins with an 11-year-old Jessica Ryder reeling from the murder of John Lennon, and music remains part of the soundtrack as her life becomes increasingly consumed by drugs and alcohol.
In this episode, Erica Kent joins Booked On Rock to discuss the personal experiences that informed Black Dog, why Led Zeppelin’s “Black Dog” helped inspire the novel, and how artists including The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, the Grateful Dead, the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Neil Young, and Jimi Hendrix became woven into Jessica’s world. Erica also talks candidly about getting sober at age 20, experiencing a relapse years later, and what that experience taught her about the lasting power of addiction.
We also explore why John Lennon’s death represented a loss of innocence for her generation, the connection between rock culture and substance use, why sobriety doesn’t mean giving up the music you love, and the idea at the heart of Black Dog: recovery isn’t a simple journey from darkness into light. It’s complicated, contradictory, and deeply human.
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