CHARLES Waterstreet's third book tracking his colourful life from age 21 to the present day has the potential to be the most successful of them all.
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Still to settle on a title at the half-way stage of its compilation, but with a liking for Lick My Wounds, the Albury-raised barrister, author and theatre and film producer revealed at the weekend the book will start when he unexpectedly moved into a house owned by author Patrick White.
Mr Waterstreet, a second-year law student being supported by a scholarship, which he had decided to take in a lump sum, blew the lot at an inner city illegal gambling den.
He took up temporary residence in the lobby of a Centennial Park boarding house before meeting two women who were looking after White's home in his absence.
"These two girls took me in and introduced me to society, arts and the interesting parts of Sydney I otherwise hadn't seen outside TABs and women's locker rooms," Waterstreet said.
"The book starts there.
"I only lived there for six months, but it changed my world view."
In the short-time at the acclaimed author's abode, Mr Waterstreet admits developing quite an affinity to the place by wearing White's pyjamas, sleeping in his bed and hacking down a two-metre plus sunflower, which he only owned up to doing many years later.
The book launch will coincide with the latest series of the ABC program Rake in which another former Albury boy Richard Roxburgh plays the part of Mr Waterstreet.
Mr Waterstreet was back in Albury for a Border Trust fundraiser.
His previous visit was for the opening of the Murray Arts Museum Albury, which he didn't deny making a donation towards.
"I gave everything I could," he said.
His parents operated a pub in Smollett Street which featured prominently in his first book, Precious Bodily Fluids.
"The more I come back (to Albury) the more it grows or alternatively the more I shrink," he said.
"It is astounding how it has survived when other regional towns are falling apart.
"(MAMA) is very, very bold and in that square with the gallery you could be anywhere.
"Whoever is responsible for overcoming the Bunton years where the city was freeze fried in time for 30 years has done a great job."
