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"The screen door bangs shut. The silence that follows is like the collective intake of breath between the split second a guillotine falls and when it thuds home … Unable to get a clear shot, he rips the bed away from the wall. I scream as the first lick of the electric cord stings my back ..." Imagine a gaggle of little children sitting down to dinner with their mother when suddenly everything goes black. You can't see in front of you but you know you must hide. Daddy's home. He's turned off the power – and he's coming for you, any one of you.
As a boy Shane Weaver lived this nightmare every day. And this is where his story begins in Blacktown, a raw and powerful memoir of how a boy not only lived through, but overcame the life sentence such a terrifying start usually means – through the unwavering love of his mother, a true survivor.Weaver becomes an angry young man who learns to channel his rage into boxing, going on to become an Australian champion. Haunted by his past, he embraces alcohol and drugs with a terrifying intensity, teetering on the edge of the criminal, violent world he grew up in. One day, jobless, on the run with a wife and three kids to support, all his past lives collide to help him create an inspired application for a copywriting job. The result is a new start - and a whole new life. Best of all, he finds the love of a good woman who helps him rebuild his life. Today he is the creative director of one of the world's biggest advertising brand names. (Publisher's description)
Notes
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One of six books selected for the 2004 Books Alive promotion.
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Works about this Work
-
You're Reading
2013
single work
review
— Appears in: The West Australian , 10 August 2013; (p. 21) -
Into the (Textual) West
2009
single work
criticism
— Appears in: English in Australia , vol. 44 no. 3 2009; (p. 29-37) "A critical/creative paradigm in contemporary English carries with it an imperative that students should be given opportunities for deep engagement with texts relevant to what matters in their everyday lives." -
Untitled
2004
single work
review
— Appears in: JAS Review of Books , October no. 28 2004;
— Review of Blacktown 2003 single work autobiography -
Spread the Word
2004
single work
column
— Appears in: The Courier-Mail , 28 July 2004; (p. 21) -
In Short : Non-Fiction
2003
single work
review
— Appears in: The Sydney Morning Herald , 8-9 November 2003; (p. 19)
— Review of Blacktown 2003 single work autobiography ; Tanami : On Foot Across Australia's Desert Heart 2003 single work autobiography
-
In Short : Non-Fiction
2003
single work
review
— Appears in: The Sydney Morning Herald , 8-9 November 2003; (p. 19)
— Review of Blacktown 2003 single work autobiography ; Tanami : On Foot Across Australia's Desert Heart 2003 single work autobiography -
Untitled
2004
single work
review
— Appears in: JAS Review of Books , October no. 28 2004;
— Review of Blacktown 2003 single work autobiography -
Spread the Word
2004
single work
column
— Appears in: The Courier-Mail , 28 July 2004; (p. 21) -
Into the (Textual) West
2009
single work
criticism
— Appears in: English in Australia , vol. 44 no. 3 2009; (p. 29-37) "A critical/creative paradigm in contemporary English carries with it an imperative that students should be given opportunities for deep engagement with texts relevant to what matters in their everyday lives." -
You're Reading
2013
single work
review
— Appears in: The West Australian , 10 August 2013; (p. 21)
- Sydney Outer West, Sydney, New South Wales,
- Sydney, New South Wales,
- Blacktown, Blacktown area, Sydney Outer West, Sydney, New South Wales,
- ca. 1960-2000