Cohn, Nik

(British, 1946– )

Born and educated in Derry, Cohn is best known as the author of a number of acclaimed books on rock ‘n’ roll and American popular culture, and these interests are the main subjects of his fiction. A good starting point is Need (1996), a story centred on four characters who seek sanctuary among the birds and snakes at a New York zoo during an intense heatwave as the city descends into chaos. King Death (1977) is a dark satire centred on a ‘death artist’ that reflects the nihilism of the punk rock movement. Cohn's theory that everything anyone ever needed to know about rock ‘n’ roll is contained in the chorus of Little Richard's ‘Tutti Frutti’ is expounded in Awopbopaloobop Alopbamboom (1969), a non-fiction study that is as informative as it is irreverent, and Ball the Wall(1989) is a comprehensive selection from his work.

Thomas Pynchon, Roddy Doyle  WB