Nick Cave’s $1,120 Book Details “Roots of Inspiration, Love & Meaning” on Barf Bags

A $1,120 book written from notes taken on air sickness bags by a musician covers “the roots of inspiration, love and meaning.”

Artists seek inspiration from a variety of different sources, but many would not expect air sickness bags to be one of them. Enter Nick Cave: Australian actor, songwriter, screenwriter, musician, and frontman of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.

The artist of many talents recently wrote a series of soul-searching narratives while flying between tour destinations, all on paper bags found in the seatbacks of commercial aircraft. The series of bags decorated with Cave’s notes and illustrations have been compiled into a forthcoming book, one appropriate titled The Sick Bag Song.

Liner notes on the book’s website calls the novel a first-hand chronicle of Cave’s 2014 tour across the U.S. The account of this 22-city journey began its life as scribbles on airline sick bags and grew into a restless full-length epic, seeking out the roots of inspiration, love and meaning. According to Pitchfork reviews, Cave’s book “blends poetry, lyrics, memories, musings, flights of fancy and journal entries.”

For those who are curious as to what musings on the back of air sickness bags looks like, The Sick Bag Song will come in two flavors. A $45 “Unlimited Version” will include the book itself, as well as an audio book narrated by Cave and a complimentary e-book edition.

For the price of $1,120, however, 220 fans will get the full experience, complete with a unique air sickness bag detailed by the artist himself. The pricey “Limited Edition” will also include the audio book on two vinyl records and a limited run of the book, signed, numbered and bound in cloth.

There will be three readings of The Sick Bag Song in London, Los Angeles and New York City next month. The book goes on sale April 8 and is available directly through the publisher.

[Photos: The Creative Corporation]