SledgeHammer

by Connor Ovenden-Shaw, D.E. Kerr (Editor)

Debut collection of modern poetry & Illustrations from Connor Ovenden-Shaw. Dealing with his upbringing and turbulent youth, showing that a personal story of manipulation and abuse can both flower forgiveness and be universal in its message of escapism.

Genres: Poetry

82 pages, Paperback

Published September 1, 2018

About the author

I am a queer Australian Author and Illustrator, working as a commission based Illustrator out of my home in a small coastal Victorian town. I am passionate about local art and Indy writing, I had my first Solo Gallery Show in late 2017, 'Lineage' was a look into how my heritage and the women that have shaped me are perceived in society. That let to me publishing my first Poetry collection 'Sledgehammer' dealing with similar themes and my childhood traumas.

I sketch endlessly, I enjoy sewing, Cross stitch, and spending time with my husband.

I write and create images and poetry deep with LGBTQIA+, Family, Botanical themes. I tend to not shy away from the rough nature of my thoughts.
I may not always be polished, but I am always put together,

and that's enough for me.

Find me On
Instagram: connorovendenshaw
Twitter: connor_ovenden

Reviews

[Nicole Field · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were some absolute gems that shone out of this poetry collection. It begins with such a gem:

One has come to expect certain traits when perusing a book like this
The broken mind
Frayed relationships
Classic childhood trauma
With just a hint of a gruelling self-identity crisis.

Sound familiar?

I just kinda loved it and readied myself to sink into yet another brutally honest read. The content of this debut collection didn't disappoint; it speaks of an abusive relationship between father and son, of the reverence he has towards his mother, speaking to his own identity as a young gay man. It speaks to queerness more widely, and I definitely identified with so much of the content.

The only reason I rated this poetry book a bit lower was that a lot of the poems in this collection are still very rough. Clearly well edited, but just without a certain rhythm that more experienced poets might present.

But there is no denying that this book came straight from the heart.

I'm also going to include in this review the content warnings that the author included at the start of this book:
Mental abuse
Physical abuse
Sexual abuse
PTSD
Anxiety
Gaslighting
Substance abuse
Profanity
Violent imagery.

[D.E. Kerr · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's really hard to review a book from one of your oldest friend, and frequent collaborator, especially when you edited and formatted it too. I don't want it to seem bias, but it is no secret that I'm a big fan of Ovenden-Shaw's art of all kinds, you can tell that just by looking at my walls.

I have read poetry collections about romantic love, abusive relationships, mental illness, identity, and so many other things, but I don't think I have ever read one where the weaving story was about a dysfunctional childhood, maybe just with a few poems across a collection if anything.

And it was hauntingly beautiful. It pulled at my heart, but also left me with hope that despite everything, the family he chose to keep survived and will thrive.

Split into two parts, "The Walls" and "The Rubble", I found myself adoring the fact that the title of the entire collection, SledgeHammer, was connected, but not so overt. Only as you move through the poetry and drawings do you truly understand that dysfunctional familial relationships can in fact be this damaging.

The poem Pressure really struck a chord with me, words to explain how I've always felt, but without a doubt my favourite poems would have to be the 3 part poem They Knew Little From The Outside followed by The View From The Inside, a clever small poem that took the final lines of the 3 part poem to end Part 1 of this beautiful collection.

Part 2 simply made my heart soar, and I can't recount the many times I yelled "BURN!" To an empty room, as Ovenden-Shaw slayed, dropping truth bombs about building himself despite being raised as a "momma's boy", despite the lack of a male role model, he became the man he is today from watching his mother give her all to him and his siblings.

As well as writing this collection, all art within it were also done by Ovenden-Shaw, and all of it is breathtaking, especially placed so perfectly with each poem.

This is a collection of the brutal truths of familial abuse in many different forms, but it is also the story of a mother who did her best despite everything, and a son who grew into the best man he could be through his own merits, no one moulded him.

An excellent debut, I highly recommend, but you might need tissues. I've read it over and over, and still do.

I can't wait to see what Ovenden-Shaw brings us next.