Brains Balls & Banter
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IN THE PRESS
To see (and hear) Tracey O’Callaghan live is to feel the drive and passion she brings to her art. She commands your attention and draws you into her world where she spits the words out as if they are burning inside her and need, no, have, to be released. It has been one of life’s pleasures to watch Tracey develop her poetry, her performance skills and fine tune her craft since she first nervously stepped on to the stage to become the firebrand she is today.
If you haven’t yet seen her perform, I urge you to correct that mistake. Until then this collection will give you just a hint of the zeal and energy she brings. Her’s is a voice that you know will still be heard in years to come and as I read these poems, I once again feel that passion. Now it’s your turn.
Tracey’s work is highly-charged with her unique energy and filled to the brim with sassiness. But it’s not a hollow, nihilistic sass; more of an intelligent and playful bolshiness that, along with her signature wit and charisma, serves to set very clear boundaries regarding what she will and won’t tolerate.
Tracey O’Callaghan's poetry contains the affront and bite that makes you uncomfortably aware of the fundamental need for changes in education on respect and tolerance in families, schools and social media.
This poetic artist provides the vehicle but not the road, the bends but not the conditions – the vehicle can take you anywhere you wish to go - with your mind in a state of apprehension, the poet is the guide. This is a wild ride of guts and juxtaposition – joy, attrition, family, abuse, misogyny, environment, political graft, predator priests and perspectives won and lost
A grand read – take it in stages and take your time.
Kami
(co-founder Spoken Word SA)
Jack Vaul
Musician/Artist
Gerry Gillespie
Author
"The Waste between our ears"
BIO
Tracey O’Callaghan is a writer, poet and spoken word performer who is based/lives in Adelaide. Her debut on stage was in a Spoken Word SA Poetry slam winter heat. It took her three years of attempts to achieve this, on that night back in August 2018 her anxiety and nerves did not win. She did not win, but she stood on stage and finished her poem without falling over or vomiting in front of the crowd, so she awarded herself a trophy that night. Then told her three person support team. I now can mark that off my list. On exiting, the tall guy with lush long dark hair hanging down his back, told her to get her ass out to the other heats. She declined as her nerves had taken a beaten that night. But her friends insisted she go to heat 2, 3 and in heat 4 she was awarded runner up. Her entry into the Spoken Word Poetry Slam State final 2018 awarded to her as an perseverance fake cheque. She still has that fake cheque. She performed in the SA State Poetry Slam in 2018, 2019.2020 and in 2021 she was crowned the winner. Her perform paid off. The 2021 SA state representatives performed in the Nationals via a Zoom link. In the SA State Poetry Slam in 2022 she came 2nd which booked her a spot to perfrom in the Nationals at Sydney Opera House. Her work has been widely published across national and international news platforms. She has performed both competitively and as feature poet for spoken word events around Adelaide and Internationally. Tracey is unapologetic about who she is and how she got this far, her writing is a roller coaster style takes you on a journey of the highs and the lows. Gut wrenching raw and brutal at times. Then her words gently touch each side of your face and melt your heart. Her work, fires you up inspires you to put a pen to paper. She is truly a story teller, a talented word weaver, she writes about family, parenting, humour, trauma, history, nature, healing, grief, domestic violence, surviving, love and loss. Her poetry is researched well, factual and of truth. She is a survivor, but that title is not the badge she wears. Brave is what she is, brave and bull-headed and adamant that those who wished to break her will not succeed; she is a Warrior Woman with a heart of gold. Emotional, gutsy and sincere. She writes from a heart that’s been shattered and rebuilt. She is gifted with a quick sassy smart mouth and a brain that rarely switches off. Her fans wait with baited breath in anticipation for the launch of her 1st Poetry book. You can view Tracey's Spoken Word performances here select the "Videos" tab
