Detours

A charming, honest, funny, sad, tender and beautiful literary memoir, from Tim Rogers of You Am I. Think Patti Smith meet Dylan Thomas, by way of Banjo Paterson.

'Rogers is a beautiful writer, both literate and lyrical ... Detours makes most rock memoirs look like How to Hypnotise Chooks. A heartbreaking work of staggering honesty.' West Australian

'Of all the utterances delivered to me by strangers, my least favourite after "We can no longer legally serve you" would have to be, "Well, that isn't very rock'n'roll."'

Tim Rogers of You Am I has always been a complicated man: a hard-drinking musician with the soul of a poet; a flamboyant flâneur; a raconteur, a romantic and a raffish ne'er-do-well. In this offbeat, endearing memoir, Tim walks us through years jam-packed with love, shame, joy, enthusiasms, regrets, fights, family - and music, always music.

A work of real grace and tenderness, Detours is often impossibly sad and beautiful - but also full of wit, wordplay and punching jolts of larrikin energy to make you laugh out loud.

'Rogers is a beautiful memoirist ... [Detours is] an authentic, beautiful, unusual - and yes, brave - book that stands up on its own as a strong work of literature.' The Guardian

'The good news is that our Tim can write. Every sentence trails a floaty scarf. A few of them have a floppy hat over one eye.' Don Walker

'A beautiful writer, Tim Rogers takes you where you want to go.' Robert Forster

'Artfully written and reflective ... descriptive, insightful and anecdote-rich' Herald Sun

'Bitter-sweet ... a twisty, soulful ramble through a life. He writeswith wistful passion about his loves, wishes and shortcomings.' Australian Women's Weekly