Tim Winton
It's not like me to be sychophantic about anyone but Tim Winton has got to be one of the best authors around at the moment.
Tim Winton's Breath got me in to this author and now I'm punishing myself not to read his books too quickly. I used this powerful quote from Breath for a project I was doing for Quiksilver last year: "Surfing, for him, is ultimately less about gnarly-man competition for bragging rights and girls than about the outlaw feeling of doing something graceful, as if dancing on water was the best and bravest thing a man could do." Dirt Music blew my mind although I had to forgive Winton for giving up at the end of that book - his ability to relate to the passion and power of sound and eventual music from that sound was awe inspiring. I'm currently reading The Turning, which is a collection of short stories. The first one alone - Big World - stole my sleep last night. Here are some sentences from the story: "For eight hours we stand on the line fighting slippery chunks of cow hide into boxes so they can be sold as craybait. Our arms are slick with gore and pasted with orange and black beef-hairs. The smell isn't good but that's nothing compared with the feel of those severed nostrils and lips and ears between your fingers. I don't make a sound, don't even stop for lunch, can't think about it. I'm just glad all those chunks are fresh because at least my hands are warm." "Now and then Biggie looks at me and leers. He's got a face only a mother could love. One eye's looking at you and the other eye's looking for you.""Biggie is really enjoying himself back there and I slowly understand why. There's the obvious thing of course, the fact that he's in with a big chance with Meg come nightfall. But something else, the thing that eats at me, is the way he's enjoying being brighter than her, being a step ahead, feeling somehow senior and secure in himself. It's me all over. It's how I am with him and it's not pretty." Writing this good has to be shared. Most Winton lovers will steer you towards Cloudstreet but don't just experience him through this book.