Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
‘I wanted them to lose something. Because I lost something.’
– Dominic Gordon
As a boy, author Dominic Gordon roamed Melbourne’s streets, taking methamphetamine in its stairwells, nesting in its train tunnels, traversing along its rooftops, and hiding from its predators.
‘My whole life existed to get over the pain. But yet I needed the pain to feel alive.’
In 2018, Dominic was awarded a Berry Street Fellowship at the State Library of Victoria, given for a project exploring an aspect of the social history of Melbourne.
‘I thought, “hang on. No, there is something in what I’m doing".
‘There is value, there is meaning, and there is actually, potentially a future.’
His latest work, Excitable Boy – Essays on Risk, examines the dangers of a decades-long exploration of risk in the streets of his city.
About the series
Monograph is a series of short films that bring to light the humanity, passion, and beauty of the Library, and what it means to the people it’s touched. Monograph refers to the singular focus of each film – a brief but deep dive into a person’s life, work, and connection to the Library.
Credit
A film by Creative Studio, State Library Victoria
Featuring: Dominic Gordon
Director of Photography: Christopher Miles
Content Guidelines Support:
Everymind through the Mindframe rogram
‘I wanted them to lose something. Because I lost something.’
– Dominic Gordon
As a boy, author Dominic Gordon roamed Melbourne’s streets, taking methamphetamine in its stairwells, nesting in its train tunnels, traversing along its rooftops, and hiding from its predators.
‘My whole life existed to get over the pain. But yet I needed the pain to feel alive.’
In 2018, Dominic was awarded a Berry Street Fellowship at the State Library of Victoria, given for a project exploring an aspect of the social history of Melbourne.
‘I thought, “hang on. No, there is something in what I’m doing".
‘There is value, there is meaning, and there is actually, potentially a future.’
His latest work, Excitable Boy – Essays on Risk, examines the dangers of a decades-long exploration of risk in the streets of his city.
About the series
Monograph is a series of short films that bring to light the humanity, passion, and beauty of the Library, and what it means to the people it’s touched. Monograph refers to the singular focus of each film – a brief but deep dive into a person’s life, work, and connection to the Library.
Credit
A film by Creative Studio, State Library Victoria
Featuring: Dominic Gordon
Director of Photography: Christopher Miles
Content Guidelines Support:
Everymind through the Mindframe rogram
