Collecting Hell

05 Jan 2004 by Matthew Linderman

The Fales Library at New York University will house the extensive archives of punk icon Richard Hell (NY Times). Here’s Hell on why he’s such an avid collector:

“Not to get too intellectual and pretentious and overwrought, but in a strange way you only really exist in the works you do. If you don’t keep them, then you don’t exist. I really find myself going back through things when I don’t know what to do next. You look at them to figure out who this person is and what there is to do now. It’s like looking at a movie. I’ve often felt that way about my whole life, too. It’s like I’m trying to make a movie that’s happening in real life, and the thing that’s interesting to do next would be the thing that would be interesting to see happen in this movie.”