The poet

Nº025 / 100

Nick Cave

Singer, songwriter, screenwriter and author of The Red Hand Files

“Nick has inspired me both as an artist and a person so it’s difficult for me to frame him in an objective cultural context. There is certainly no other artist who has had a bigger influence on me; I put him up there with the all-time musical greats.

But the most profound influence Nick has had on me has come as I’ve watched how he handles the tragic death of his son. We’ll all suffer loss and much of our lives will be defined by how we negotiate these losses. To watch someone embrace his situation and the people around him and drag us all to a place that’s richer, more meaningful and filled with more beauty than the world we knew before is truly inspiring.”