There are, it seems, two essential prerequisites for a would-be author about to embark on a work of fiction.
The first, naturally, is a story to tell.
The second is the means to bring the tale to a conclusion, if not a definitive ending.
Much of my fictional output is based around the imagined existence of an almost Bowen called Denison, starting with Dirty Work at the Crossroads, and the sequel, Desperate Days at the Crossroads. When we start looking at sequels to Dirty Work and Desperate Days that’s where they’re going to happen.
Zen and the Art of Locating the Real Australia dates back to a course at JCUNQ in 1971 called Problems in Australian History. This version is as much about student lifestyles in the early to mid-seventies as it is about the alleged topic.
Dirty Work at the Crossroads is the tale of what follows winning a Lotto jackpot and purchasing a motel on the outskirts of Denison.
Desperate Days at the Crossroads will be the sequel when an appropriate plot line has been nutted out.
The Ballantyne series is a collection of shorter pieces that impinge on Australian politics in the twenty-first century through the thought processes of a maverick Labor Party Senator from the Northern Territory.