Monograph: Dominic Gordon
‘I wanted them to lose something. Because I lost something.’
As a boy, author Dominic Gordon roamed Melbourne’s streets, taking methamphetamine in its stairwells, nesting in its train tunnels, traversing along its rooftops, and hiding from its predators.
‘My whole life existed to get over the pain. But yet I needed the pain to feel alive.’
In 2018, Dominic was awarded a Berry Street Fellowship at State Library Victoria to explore an aspect of Melbourne’s social history.
‘I thought, “Hang on. No, there is something in what I’m doing. There is value, there is meaning, and there is actually, potentially a future.”’
The fellowship became the foundation for Excitable Boy – Essays on Risk, his memoir examining the dangers and lasting consequences of a decades-long exploration of risk in the streets of Melbourne.
About the series
Monograph is a series of short films that bring to light the humanity, passion, and beauty of the Library, and what it means to the people it’s touched. Monograph refers to the singular focus of each film – a brief but deep dive into a person’s life, work, and connection to the Library.
Credit
A film by Creative Studio, State Library Victoria
Featuring: Dominic Gordon
Director of Photography: Christopher Miles
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