Dirt Music

Part 7 is from the perspective of Luther Fox, who sets himself up on the unnamed island in Coronation Gulf. He lives off the sea and the land, eating ants, berries and nuts, fish, and crustaceans. He is calm and happy, finding peace on the island, which he describes sensually. He goes about barefoot and talks to the animals, trees, and sea. Although content alone, he wishes he had brought his beloved books. He begins to feed sharks and enjoys their visits. Nature is healing and awakening passion in Lu, though it comes slowly.

A cyclone strikes the island, battering Lu and endangering his makeshift camp. In the chaos of the storm, he thinks of his mother’s death, when a tree snapped, a branch impaling her chest while he held her hand. He recalls how she saw the world as holy, bearing gifts. His father was never convinced, but Lu realizes that it may be both holy and dangerous. He understands that he lives between the two worldviews. He will not turn sour, like his father, or live in complete bliss, like his mother. He will find a middle way.