Punk rock icon, author, actor and spoken-word powerhouse Henry Rollins will dig deep into his formative years with his upcoming memoir, “Bait Dog Boy,” arriving March 2, 2027, via Random House.
Described by the publisher as a raw and deeply personal coming-of-age story, “Bait Dog Boy” finds Rollins confronting a chapter of his life he has largely avoided examining publicly: his turbulent childhood and adolescence in Washington, D.C.
The memoir traces Rollins’ early years as he moved between indifferent parents and encountered a succession of abusive adults while struggling to find a place where he belonged. That path would eventually lead him to Ian MacKaye and, ultimately, the discovery of punk rock, which offered Rollins an outlet, a community and a way forward.
For Rollins, whose uncompromising approach has defined his work for decades, “Bait Dog Boy” promises to offer readers a considerably more intimate look at the experiences that helped forge the intensity, discipline and worldview he would later bring to the stage.
“I have no desire to be a survivor,” Rollins writes, describing instead a determination to adapt, fight back and remain standing against the forces attempting to break him.
Rollins first rose to prominence as the frontman of the legendary Black Flag before launching the Rollins Band and building an extraordinarily diverse career that has included music, spoken word, acting, radio, television, photography and writing.
He has also been a prolific author for decades, self-publishing eleven books through his own 2.13.61 imprint. His previous works include fan favorites such as “Get in the Van,” “Black Coffee Blues,” “Smile, You’re Traveling” and “The Portable Henry Rollins.”
At 304 pages, “Bait Dog Boy” will be released in hardcover and ebook editions, with an audiobook edition also scheduled for March 2, 2027. The hardcover is currently listed at $32.00 and the book is available for pre-order.
Additional details and pre-order information are available through Penguin Random House. Visit the official “Bait Dog Boy” page