Excitable Boy: Essays on Risk is Melburnian Dominic Gordon’s first book. The 13 “essays” are more like vivid snapshots of Gordon’s memories as he grew up walking the line between normality and trouble. Through Gordon’s eyes, the reader is brought along to train yard graffiti sessions, drugged-up clubs and Melbourne’s western suburbs pre-gentrification.
Aptly titled, each essay engages with the theme of risk – whether it be through petty crime, injury or wagging school. Don’t let the word “essay” deter you though, the storytelling quality of the essays is unmissable and makes for a compelling read for fiction-lovers.
The essays are inseparable from the book’s Melbourne setting. Gordon crafts descriptions of damp alleyways, streets and suburbs with ease, rather than relying on indulgent, rambling monologues to tell his stories. These essays will possibly hit harder for those familiar with the city, as Gordon reflects his home back to readers with mirror-like accuracy.
He does not fall victim to snobbish literary jargon and purple prose. Word choices are best described as refreshingly blunt – avoiding frills and instead establishing a strong voice: ‘a sad-looking guy in his thirties whose legs are so thin he could be snapped up and used for kindling’ (from the essay ‘Grey Metallic Blue’).
Lines like this are common and uncomfortably enjoyable to read.
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Gordon does not sugarcoat his experiences, prompting readers to consider how easy it is for young people, and young men in particular, to fall between the cracks as a result of their circumstances (or lack thereof). Masculinity and accompanying themes of brotherhood, class, sexuality and violence are frequently explored in the essays.
For those who have never picked up a can of spray paint, ‘Graff: The Writers’ Reality’ does this particularly well. Graffiti allows Gordon and his friends to make their mark on the world, while also providing these disenfranchised young men with purpose and community. The writer builds layers quickly while jumping across time, his peers’ lives and the consequences for all involved. It is through essays such as these that readers gain an understanding of how these risky behaviours can act as gateways to escalating self-destructive and violent endeavours.
However, this fast-paced, almost cinematic style of writing is a double-edged sword. Sometimes you gain a glimpse into a new world, and other times you’re left wanting more detail. Gordon’s habit of alluding to darker undertones and stories without always drilling into them is at times frustrating to read.
Conversely, the longest essay, ‘Coming of Age in the Wild West’, feels unfocused in its descriptions. Despite ending with a strong commentary, more analysis throughout would’ve contextualised why Gordon wanted to include the memories in the first place and given the reader a clearer sense of direction for the piece. For example, the fingerprints of gentrification are all over the essay, but would perhaps best be called out more often, in line with the candid voice established in earlier essays.
All in all, Excitable Boy: Essays on Risk by Dominic Gordon is an engaging collection of essays that provides insight into often under-published lives. Gordon’s voice is engaging and invites readers to walk with him and consider the volatility of his experiences and city.
Excitable Boy: Essays on Risk, Dominic Gordon
Publisher: Upswell Publishing
ISBN: 9780645874556
Pages: 176pp
Publication Date: 3 April 2024
RRP: $29.99
