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Shortlisted in The Australian/Vogel Literary Award. Attempts to Draw Jesus follows the lives of two teenage boys in the Australian outback, the track they lose and the mark they leave behind.
'Set against a red desert landscape, Attempts to Draw Jesus follows the lives of two teenagers in unfamiliar surroundings.
'In his gran's day, jobs weren't a problem. But when Jack Alber gets laid off from the local servo there aren't many options. He's only seventeen and in his small town there is only the need for one chemist and one butcher.
'And from his scribblings in his journal, it's evident that Clive 'Rolly' Rollins is more interested in observing life than living it. He earns his dole by applying for jobs he doesn't want, dreaming away his days in Adelaide's city streets, strolling, watching and writing.
'Jack's and Rolly's fates are changed irrevocably when they both answer an ad to work as jackaroos for a remote outback station. The Simpson Desert will allow both to prove something to themselves and to their families and friends. A landscape of endless Mitchell grass and gibber plains will provide experiences they'd never find back home. But all it takes to change their world is one wrong turn.
'Attempts to Draw Jesus is a fresh, contemporary novel, rich with honesty and a distinctive insight into young lives.' (Publication summary)
Notes
-
This novel is based on a play which the author wrote and directed in 1993.
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Other Formats
- Also braille.
Works about this Work
-
Untitled
2003
single work
review
— Appears in: Fiction Focus : New Titles for Teenagers , vol. 17 no. 1 2003; (p. 30)
— Review of Attempts to Draw Jesus 2002 single work novel -
Playing the Game
2002
single work
review
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , October no. 245 2002; (p. 51-52)
— Review of The Greek Liar 2002 single work novel ; Attempts to Draw Jesus 2002 single work novel -
An Inner Desert
2002
single work
review
— Appears in: The Sydney Morning Herald , 21-22 September 2002; (p. 12)
— Review of Attempts to Draw Jesus 2002 single work novel -
Narratives for Stark Landscapes
2002
single work
review
— Appears in: The Age , 21 September 2002; (p. 9)
— Review of Attempts to Draw Jesus 2002 single work novel ; Above the Water 2002 single work novel -
Paperbacks
2002
single work
review
— Appears in: Canberra Sunday Times , 8 September 2002; (p. 22)
— Review of Jazz Tango 2002 single work novel ; The White Body of Evening 2002 single work novel ; Attempts to Draw Jesus 2002 single work novel
-
Untitled
2003
single work
review
— Appears in: Fiction Focus : New Titles for Teenagers , vol. 17 no. 1 2003; (p. 30)
— Review of Attempts to Draw Jesus 2002 single work novel -
Long Dry Trek of the Soul
2002
single work
review
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian , 24-25 August 2002; (p. 8-9)
— Review of Attempts to Draw Jesus 2002 single work novel -
Paperbacks
2002
single work
review
— Appears in: Canberra Sunday Times , 8 September 2002; (p. 22)
— Review of Jazz Tango 2002 single work novel ; The White Body of Evening 2002 single work novel ; Attempts to Draw Jesus 2002 single work novel -
Narratives for Stark Landscapes
2002
single work
review
— Appears in: The Age , 21 September 2002; (p. 9)
— Review of Attempts to Draw Jesus 2002 single work novel ; Above the Water 2002 single work novel -
An Inner Desert
2002
single work
review
— Appears in: The Sydney Morning Herald , 21-22 September 2002; (p. 12)
— Review of Attempts to Draw Jesus 2002 single work novel -
Searching for Answers
2002
single work
column
— Appears in: The Advertiser , 17 August 2002; (p. 11)
Awards
- 2003 special commendation The Sydney Morning Herald Best Young Novelist of the Year
- 2000 runner-up The Australian / Vogel National Literary Award (for an unpublished manuscript)
- Simpson Desert, Far North South Australia, South Australia,
- Australian Outback, Central Australia,
- Adelaide, South Australia,
- Jamestown, Hallett - Jamestown - Peterborough - Orroroo area, Mid North South Australia, South Australia,