Dry Crossing

by Russell Guy

Dizzy Roundabout, a guitarist in an Aboriginal rock 'n' roll band, has criss-crossed the Australian continent for the past ten years scraping just enough money for the next gig. Accepting a national Music Industry Award in the absence of the lead singer, reportedly taken by a crocodile is just another day at the office. Torn between recording in Sydney and a woman at an outback roadhouse, Dizzy's life begins to come apart and he find himself stranded in a small town, until an elderly missionary steers him into a road that he's not traveled before.

198 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2015

About the author

Russell Guy – short biography

Russell Guy’s short story What’s Rangoon to You is Grafton to Me first appeared in Tracks Australian surfing magazine in 1978. Broadcast later that year on ABC Rock radio 2JJ, it was an instant hit. It has been repeatedly broadcast and gained a cult following.

It was published as the title of a collection of short stories (Imprint, A&R. 1991) and was adapted for the stage (Metro Theatre, Brisbane, 1992).

'Baptised Among Crocodiles - A history of the Daintree Aboriginal Mission 1940 – 1962' was published in 2000 by the Queensland Government and is now re-published by Boolarong Press, Brisbane. 2015. See www.russellguy.com.au for details.

DRY CROSSING, a novel published in 2015, "is a road novel that actually goes somewhere... an unfashionable tale of redemption, told in a time of fashionable atheism. The book’s main character, Dizzy Roundabout, is a burnt-out refugee from an Aboriginal rock ‘n’ roll band and as the protagonist’s name might suggest, there is a subtle overlay of allegory to this modern morality tale” - Alice Online.

Check out other reviews at http://russellguy.com.au/index.php/ab...

Reviews

[Jill Overmyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once I got into the rhythm and language of this novel, I was travelling alongside the fabulously-named Dizzy Roundabout on his spiritual, and physical, roadtrip into his past, present and, hopefully hopeful future.
Dizzy's not a character to easily warm to (many times I wanted to throttle him!)but Russell Guy's frank portrait of a man in mental and spiritual crisis, with well-placed insights into how he came to be in the state he's in, makes it impossible not to empathise and care about this troubled man. And likewise for so many of the other interesting/charming/intriguing characters who come and go throughout this story.
There's another character in this story which is always present and fundamental to the tale, and that's the harsh but beautiful land and its creatures which are so essentially and uniquely Australian. The author's love and knowledge of the "outback" is stunningly and evocatively captured time after time.
This is a tale of love and loss and (spoilers) that will lodge itself deep within your heart and mind.

[Nicola · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit hard to get into at the beginning, but a wonderful story of outback Australia and the problems with being in a band! the writing is a bit stilted but grows on you when you get into the flow.

[Maree · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is by far the best book I have read this year! As an Australian it is a relief to read a story about Australia and set in Australia. It has filled my soul with longing for the outback, the red dirt, the birds and the people. This is a book that does not pander to Americans; it writes in the vernacular of Aussies and Abos and it is friendly and familiar. The story is about Dizzy Roundabout who is part Aborigine and lives in the outback. He is a fairly successful musician so he travels around the vast inland of Australia visiting community centres from Darwin to Sydney playing with his band. The author Russell Guy is in love with the landscape and flora and fauna. As Dizzy is travelling from town to town Guy describes the flocks of birds flying above, the flowering trees along the road and the wildlife coming in and out of the scene. The story is poetic and evocative and we sit with Dizzy as he slowly finds his own place to settle. If you are interested in the outback or you live in a city, read this book to be transported to somewhere beautiful.