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Occupants: Photographs and Writings
For the past twenty-five years, Henry Rollins has searched out the most desolate corners of the Earthfrom Iraq to Afghanistan, Thailand to Mali, and beyondarticulating his observations through music and words, on radio and television, and in magazines and books. Though he’s known for the raw power of his expression, Rollins has shown that the greatest statements can be made with the simplest of acts: to just bear witness, to be present.
In Occupants, Rollins invites us to do the same. The book pairs Rollins’s visceral full-color photographstaken in Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Northern Ireland, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and elsewhere over the last few yearswith writings that not only provide context and magnify the impact of the images but also lift them to the level of political commentary. Simply put, this book is a visual testimony of anger, suffering, and resilience. Occupants will help us realize what is so easy to miss when tragedy and terror become numbing, constant forcesthe quieter, stronger forces of healing, solidarity, faith, and even joy.
176 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2011
23 people are currently reading
332 people want to read
About the author
Henry Rollins
107 books1,728 followersHenry Rollins (born Henry Lawrence Garfield; often referred to simply as Rollins) is an American singer-songwriter, spoken word artist, author, actor and publisher.
After joining the short-lived Washington, D.C. band State of Alert in 1980, Rollins fronted the Californian hardcore punk band Black Flag from 1981 until 1986. Following the band's breakup, Rollins soon established the record label and publishing company 2.13.61 to release his spoken word albums, as well as forming the Rollins Band, which toured with a number of lineups until 2003 and during 2006.
Since Black Flag, Rollins has embarked on projects covering a variety of media. He has hosted numerous radio shows, such as The Henry Rollins Show and Harmony In My Head, and television shows, such as MTV's 120 Minutes and Jackass, along with roles in several films. Rollins has also campaigned for human rights in the United States, promoting gay rights in particular, and tours overseas with the United Service Organizations to entertain American troops.
After joining the short-lived Washington, D.C. band State of Alert in 1980, Rollins fronted the Californian hardcore punk band Black Flag from 1981 until 1986. Following the band's breakup, Rollins soon established the record label and publishing company 2.13.61 to release his spoken word albums, as well as forming the Rollins Band, which toured with a number of lineups until 2003 and during 2006.
Since Black Flag, Rollins has embarked on projects covering a variety of media. He has hosted numerous radio shows, such as The Henry Rollins Show and Harmony In My Head, and television shows, such as MTV's 120 Minutes and Jackass, along with roles in several films. Rollins has also campaigned for human rights in the United States, promoting gay rights in particular, and tours overseas with the United Service Organizations to entertain American troops.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
October 17, 2011
i pre-ordered it. it came SIGNED. *swoon*
as henry says in the intro, the essays or rants that accompany the photos are somewhat stream-of-consciousness; what looking at the photo made him think when he sat down to write. some of it is hard to read. some of it is not what you'd expect to come from him. some of it is awful and tragic and much of it seems unrelated to the photo or experience. but it's good... so good...
i was pleased to find a re-cap of the photos at the end that DOES reference the actual moment in time or trip the photo represents.
skeptics- i don't think he fancies himself a photojournalist per se, but he's traveled a lot more than most of us, and managed to capture some truly amazing shots of both the beauty and desolation of humanity.
as henry says in the intro, the essays or rants that accompany the photos are somewhat stream-of-consciousness; what looking at the photo made him think when he sat down to write. some of it is hard to read. some of it is not what you'd expect to come from him. some of it is awful and tragic and much of it seems unrelated to the photo or experience. but it's good... so good...
i was pleased to find a re-cap of the photos at the end that DOES reference the actual moment in time or trip the photo represents.
skeptics- i don't think he fancies himself a photojournalist per se, but he's traveled a lot more than most of us, and managed to capture some truly amazing shots of both the beauty and desolation of humanity.
February 27, 2012
Perhaps one of the most intense books ever, written and put together by one of the most intense people on the planet.
When I purchased my copy of this book, it was at a book signing in an independent record store in downtown Philly. I got it signed by the man himself. While Henry does carry a sort of weight to him, he throws you off by having a demeanor that puts you at ease; the man is a quasi-celebrity after all, and he came into the store from off of the street. Walking by himself down the Philadelphia streets with a backpack slung over his shoulder - much like I imagine he did in the many backstreets and alleyways of the "forbidden cities" he was in while taking the pictures featured in this book.
"Occupants" is at once both a work of art, and a slap in the face with some brutal reality. Iraq, New Orleans, Afghanistan, China, Northern Ireland, Siberia - you name the harsh motherfucking landscape, Henry has been there, and he documented it for you. The photography in this book is bleak, terrifying, disturbing, yet contains brief glimpses of "why you shouldn't hate humanity" in the many large glances at why you should. A small child smiling while he picks for food in the large pile of garbage he sleeps on - Henry catalogs it for you. His contempt for the evil in the world is palatable, it drips off of the pages and onto your lap as you flip through them. The detail in the photos are enthralling, engrossing. This man has been everywhere and I'm sure we all would feel what he feels if we were there too.
The pseudo-poetic written material that accompanies each photo is sometimes relevant, sometimes not. They contain private insights into his mind, revealing his ability to be delicate, to be a human being. They are sometimes powerful, and sometimes overly political. For someone familiar with Rollins' writing however, the "blurb" nature of the pieces that come with each page often work better than his other books, which are many times filled with pages and pages of word-attack so overwhelming that they are hard to digest. You'll be satisfied to find however, that the actual explanations of each picture come towards the end of the book. Which I found myself flipping back to numerous times, when I wanted to find out why, say, a group of men in Indonesia were sitting in an alleyway with a large cardboard box full of syringes.
"Occupants" is mind-blowing reality. It will be dirty and terrifying, maddening and frustrating, but it will be reality. You don't go much of anywhere outside of your "home-work-home" cyclical lifestyle (myself included). Let someone who found a way to beat the system show you what the world is really like. Not what you see on television, disinfected and given a glorious sheen for you to be able to handle. Sad, starving, impoverished reality.
When I purchased my copy of this book, it was at a book signing in an independent record store in downtown Philly. I got it signed by the man himself. While Henry does carry a sort of weight to him, he throws you off by having a demeanor that puts you at ease; the man is a quasi-celebrity after all, and he came into the store from off of the street. Walking by himself down the Philadelphia streets with a backpack slung over his shoulder - much like I imagine he did in the many backstreets and alleyways of the "forbidden cities" he was in while taking the pictures featured in this book.
"Occupants" is at once both a work of art, and a slap in the face with some brutal reality. Iraq, New Orleans, Afghanistan, China, Northern Ireland, Siberia - you name the harsh motherfucking landscape, Henry has been there, and he documented it for you. The photography in this book is bleak, terrifying, disturbing, yet contains brief glimpses of "why you shouldn't hate humanity" in the many large glances at why you should. A small child smiling while he picks for food in the large pile of garbage he sleeps on - Henry catalogs it for you. His contempt for the evil in the world is palatable, it drips off of the pages and onto your lap as you flip through them. The detail in the photos are enthralling, engrossing. This man has been everywhere and I'm sure we all would feel what he feels if we were there too.
The pseudo-poetic written material that accompanies each photo is sometimes relevant, sometimes not. They contain private insights into his mind, revealing his ability to be delicate, to be a human being. They are sometimes powerful, and sometimes overly political. For someone familiar with Rollins' writing however, the "blurb" nature of the pieces that come with each page often work better than his other books, which are many times filled with pages and pages of word-attack so overwhelming that they are hard to digest. You'll be satisfied to find however, that the actual explanations of each picture come towards the end of the book. Which I found myself flipping back to numerous times, when I wanted to find out why, say, a group of men in Indonesia were sitting in an alleyway with a large cardboard box full of syringes.
"Occupants" is mind-blowing reality. It will be dirty and terrifying, maddening and frustrating, but it will be reality. You don't go much of anywhere outside of your "home-work-home" cyclical lifestyle (myself included). Let someone who found a way to beat the system show you what the world is really like. Not what you see on television, disinfected and given a glorious sheen for you to be able to handle. Sad, starving, impoverished reality.
April 21, 2013
Henry Rollins; singer, actor, writer, citizen of the world, presents a glimpse of his travels accompanied with observations that are only peripherally linked to the photographs they accompany.
The snapshots, taken mostly in impoverished or war torn countries offer a stark contrast to the condemnations of American ignorance in his commentaries.
Dividing his criticism between the dictators of these countries and the complacency of the poorly educated, insular American populace that refuses to see past their televisions, Rollins always comes out on the side of human resilience and against mass consumerism and the neoconservative politicians that seem intent on turning America into a third world country itself.
Brutal and thought-provoking, this book is sure to have some nodding in agreement while others gnash their teeth in anger.
The snapshots, taken mostly in impoverished or war torn countries offer a stark contrast to the condemnations of American ignorance in his commentaries.
Dividing his criticism between the dictators of these countries and the complacency of the poorly educated, insular American populace that refuses to see past their televisions, Rollins always comes out on the side of human resilience and against mass consumerism and the neoconservative politicians that seem intent on turning America into a third world country itself.
Brutal and thought-provoking, this book is sure to have some nodding in agreement while others gnash their teeth in anger.
November 3, 2012
Some images and narratives spoke to me more than others; but make no mistake, the entire book is moving. Rollins' point of view is always one worth knowing.
My "favorite" statement: "Fu*k you bitch. Why do men hate women so much? Why do they rape them, kill them, cut their lips off, mutilate their genitalia, and beat them century after century all over the world? Is it a fear thing? Are men unable to deal with the power of women? Is that why women are crushed in every religion, paid unequally, and relegated to stripper poles and typing pools? Cowardice is the great flaw of the species."
My "favorite" statement: "Fu*k you bitch. Why do men hate women so much? Why do they rape them, kill them, cut their lips off, mutilate their genitalia, and beat them century after century all over the world? Is it a fear thing? Are men unable to deal with the power of women? Is that why women are crushed in every religion, paid unequally, and relegated to stripper poles and typing pools? Cowardice is the great flaw of the species."
October 9, 2021
Had the honor to meet Rollins at a talk in Oak Park, IL after this release by Chicago Review Press. Got to let him know: Love the pix of kids, and the writing is as intense as ever! A gorgeous travelogue full of magnificent presences and worth reading again and again. Many thanks, Hank💛🧡💚
May 23, 2019
One of the best books I have ever read.
I can think of so many people who would love this book as much as me.
But I need to re read it so many times for it all to sink in.
I can think of so many people who would love this book as much as me.
But I need to re read it so many times for it all to sink in.
November 18, 2013
I keep this book in the den right next to the TV and use it as my go to book when there is absolutely nothing worthwhile to watch. I often prefer surfing the pages of this book to flipping through the myriad idiot box channels and have found myself watching the images in Occupants and reading Henry's ramblings numerous times.The IB then becomes just some chaotic background noise.
The manner in which Occupants is written lends itself to skimming right through it and focusing on specific images. Henry’s stunning and often disturbing photography is really the “meat”, so to speak, of this work. The rest of it is like gravy to me and mmm-mmm, how I’ve been savoring! I challenge readers to get a copy if possible and decide which is better: reality television or Occupants?
Now let me treat you to some of my favorite excerpts:
p. 35
p. 34
p. 12
p. 107
p. 106
The manner in which Occupants is written lends itself to skimming right through it and focusing on specific images. Henry’s stunning and often disturbing photography is really the “meat”, so to speak, of this work. The rest of it is like gravy to me and mmm-mmm, how I’ve been savoring! I challenge readers to get a copy if possible and decide which is better: reality television or Occupants?
Now let me treat you to some of my favorite excerpts:
p. 35
p. 34
p. 12
p. 107
p. 106
March 14, 2012
I don't know about this one so far...I picked it up because, well, it's Henry Fucking Rollins. and photos. sounded like I couldn't go wrong.
I read the warning at the beginning about how the essays are just stream of consciousness based on what he thought when he looked back over the photos he had taken. I thought "that sounds cool" and dug in. I'm having a hard time getting through it, though. most of the pics at the beginning are Iraq, Afghanistan, war. his words are powerful, and good, but very dark and sometimes disturbing. yes, that was in the warning, but usually I don't have a problem with dark and disturbing. I just don't know if I can handle so much of it right now. especially having come off of the great disappointment that was The Kid. it was also mostly stream of consciousness (and dark, and disturbing) and I ended the book mad at myself for making myself finishing it.
anyway, I may just have to flip through this, look at all of the pretty pictures, and keep it in mind as something to look for at a used book store so I can actually read it later.
so, a couple of months later and I do get through the rest of it. I skimmed some of the little essays, but was pleasantly surprised to see the photos again in the back with a description of how he came to take them.
I read the warning at the beginning about how the essays are just stream of consciousness based on what he thought when he looked back over the photos he had taken. I thought "that sounds cool" and dug in. I'm having a hard time getting through it, though. most of the pics at the beginning are Iraq, Afghanistan, war. his words are powerful, and good, but very dark and sometimes disturbing. yes, that was in the warning, but usually I don't have a problem with dark and disturbing. I just don't know if I can handle so much of it right now. especially having come off of the great disappointment that was The Kid. it was also mostly stream of consciousness (and dark, and disturbing) and I ended the book mad at myself for making myself finishing it.
anyway, I may just have to flip through this, look at all of the pretty pictures, and keep it in mind as something to look for at a used book store so I can actually read it later.
so, a couple of months later and I do get through the rest of it. I skimmed some of the little essays, but was pleasantly surprised to see the photos again in the back with a description of how he came to take them.
April 11, 2012
Yes, some of the pieces of work Henry Rollins' has put together here are darker, and especially angrier than some of his fans would like them. Especially his continuous take on the impact and role of the United States on the countries he's travelled is a constant source for anger and some brutal thoughts. But these thoughts become more understandable as you watch not only his photographs but also think about the context and the situations people are faced with in those places he took those pictures. Take for example the family living at and through a waste deposit and this young girl smiling at him while she might suffer from whatever diseases and is most likely to live her whole life under conditions unthinkable for any of us...
No, this isn't a happy book, but then no one would expect such work from Henry Rollins. This is true angry and pissed ol' Hank!
No, this isn't a happy book, but then no one would expect such work from Henry Rollins. This is true angry and pissed ol' Hank!
January 26, 2012
I wasn't disappointed in the photographs which were arresting, but I was disappointed, confused and sometimes annoyed by the random rants that accompanied each of them. I often wasn't sure what Rollins (the author) was talking about, referencing or if maybe he was speaking in someone else's voice. I ended-up, after reading the first dozen or so little rants, just skimming the rest of them. What I did find interesting though was the descriptions at the end of the book detailing who was in the photos, what was going on and the significance.
An interesting concept, but it seemed to end-up being more about the author than the subjects of his photographs.
An interesting concept, but it seemed to end-up being more about the author than the subjects of his photographs.
October 22, 2011
A collection of photographs from around the world, each of which has a stream-of-consciousness monologue from the imagined perspective of one of the subjects of the photo or a voice inspired by the photo. An index in the back has the actual context of the pictures. I would have preferred longer factual explanations of what was going on in each scene, as opposed to the fictional pieces, and just more photos in general.
Read
July 12, 2013As always his work makes you pause and think.
However, I am not sure what to make of all of this. I think one can view his own culture through the eyes of another. However, I think it might have another outlook if one actually had to stay there long term.
One has to come to terms with their own affluence they have achieved. It has benefits and drawbacks.
I like that this book made come back and forth on my own conclusions from it.
However, I am not sure what to make of all of this. I think one can view his own culture through the eyes of another. However, I think it might have another outlook if one actually had to stay there long term.
One has to come to terms with their own affluence they have achieved. It has benefits and drawbacks.
I like that this book made come back and forth on my own conclusions from it.
August 10, 2012
Riveting
April 29, 2019
Disappointing, not what I expected.
April 15, 2018
The author documents seventeen years of international travel, to understand how different people occupy this world through their respective cultures. The author uses photographs accompanied by essays to document single moments of profound self-reflection. What is most memorable to me is the many times I was trying to understand what happens between the photographs during the author's many world travels--this work documents an incredibly active life.
January 29, 2022
Look, I've been a Rollins disciple since like '89, but of all the things the punk rock renaissance man does, writing is his most hit & miss (for me). I don't wanna say anything negative about this book because Hank's heart is certainly in the right place. Instead, I'll just say it didn't resonate with me.
January 3, 2025
This is one of HR's best. The writing is tight and powerful. The photos are compelling. Pair with Thurston Moore's interview with Henry about this book: https://youtu.be/vSSYgQnSSig?si=1EEwV...
abandoned
October 4, 2019I think I misunderstood or missed something.
January 4, 2021
I have always liked his spoken word sets, and was lucky enough to see him perform once. I like the imagery of his photos and the writing is definitely a stream of consciousness that works.
June 30, 2022
Loved this version of photo-journalism, replete with Henry’s palpable anger and sage wisdom.
October 23, 2025
Most of this was written by angry lyricist Henry as opposed to meditative journaling Henry. Calmer Henry shows up at the end when all of the pictures are repeated but smaller. That's the slideshow I was hoping for.
July 28, 2020
Raw, angry, repetitive, insightful. Henry was angry at all the right things during the Bush era. Now years later in our post-Bush world -- one that, though lacking the cocksure American intervention of past decades, surely loathes the ostentatious show of self-destruction we're forcing it to witness -- his violent beat-punk travelogue thoughts are now ever more cathartic.
Like the "proverbial bivalve mollusk," sometimes from the most loosely-structured mess comes the most compelling flavors. Worth a read.
Like the "proverbial bivalve mollusk," sometimes from the most loosely-structured mess comes the most compelling flavors. Worth a read.
August 6, 2014
As with a lot of his books, this is an interesting look at parts of the world I may never see, through the eyes of someone who has seen a lot. The photos and insights make strong pairings, with heavy themes of war, capitalism and inequality. It feels heavy at times, but each insight is a capsule comment, generally short so you don't carry it too long. The captioned images at the back of the book add contexts to the writings, which I found strengthen them.
October 20, 2014
Hell yes. This book is so honest, unpretentious, and fun to read that you will want much more. Not every narrative is brilliant- at it's worst Henry bashes Bush with pretty overused rants. At it's best, it's a big Fuck You to Western imperialism as if being told through the eyes of the half of the world who actually has to "sweat the small stuff." It's angry and hits the willful ignorance and hypocrisy of American culture spot-on. I'm going to read it again tomorrow.
October 28, 2011
I love everything that Henry Rollins has to say. I went to his book signing in at Book Soup in LA last night. He gave an amazing speech that spanned a variety of subjects, then he dedicated the night to us, the fellow boookies. If everyone who rated this book had heard his speech, it wouldn't average a baffling 3 stars.
October 1, 2012
Henry has an interesting way of describing these images, often shifting to the point of view of some other person. I've read a lot of Henry's work, and frankly I think this is the best thing he's done.
November 2, 2011
Wow - amazing. And angry. Hard to be human, especially hard to be American in this world. His insights help keep connected.
February 12, 2012
Damn near perfect. Loved it.
October 12, 2013
This was ok. Got a bit repetitive after a while. Lots of ranting. Enjoyed the back section much more that described where the photos were from, etc. Makes me want to travel more.
May 4, 2014
Beautiful and very important, I have made 4 people who don't love Henry as I do read it and they feel the same. Its wonderful :)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews