Author(s): Paul J. Laverty

Short Stories (Anthologies)

Surrounded by this much sand and sea, in a place where stifling 40-degree days are considered the norm ⁠— with an economy, infrastructure and political system which rests largely upon the whims of Eastern states bureaucrats over 3,000 kilometres away, many of whom have never bothered to make the four-hour flight. It can sometimes send a population literally to the edge. It can bring out the worst in people, and occasionally the very best.

In the State of Excitement is a collection of short stories from Perth, Western Australia featuring a motley bunch of characters including bikies, indentured Balinese labourers, murders, adulterers, bigots, terrorists, lawyers, screw-ups, pro-surfers, a guy who defecates visions of Jesus and many of those who make it in this Big Country Town and many more who fall between its cracks.

In the State of Excitement shows a side of Perth that even those who’ve lived here all their lives have never seen, despite this madness lying right on their doorstep.