R. H. Sin

Collection of short first-person poems about relationships.

Whiskey, Words, and a Shovel

Whiskey Words & a Shovel I

Jun Angelo Cabuguas

Sin examines loving, living, and leaving.

Whiskey Words & A Shovel

Melsriana

I believe that this was his first book? But I feel like this isn’t a poetry. This more like a tumblr quotes or tweets that you would retweet as a hint to your toxic ex. There’s no depths and intensity in these writings but I’ll give it a try for his other writings and we’ll see from there.

aisha

not my cup of tea (because i honestly couldn’t relate lmao) but there were a handful that i liked quite a bit.

Arturo Hernández

This is a short collection of thoughts that talk about pain, relations and self-worth.

Siya S

If by somehow imitating a stereotypical needy 14-year-old girl who just got a boyfriend is what it takes to call yourself a "feminist man", then I guess this all "He for She" hype has gone far worse than I have ever dared to imagine. 

I don't want to trash talk someone's "Art" because we all have our own ways to interpret things, but hell, what the fuck did I just read????? If this is the standard of today's poetry then my 12 year old niece can sure be one at this point (ah, young love). To be fair, though, at least I like the name of this book. Because sure, his words had left me in a terrible need of whiskey, and a shovel to just fucking bury this fucking book 6 feet underground.

Bea R.

“and she’s not always
this picture-perfect bullshit
definition of what’s considered
to be beautiful
but that’s a woman
someone capable of becoming
whatever she needs to be
whenever she needs to be it

..and when shit gets tough
whenever her life becomes
a war zone
she straps up her fucking boots
and goes to war
she fights, she’s always been a fighter”

Alexa Auerbach 

Excited to get the next one. Some of these hit home.

I enjoyed I and II much better than this one. I didn't get the raw emotion as I got from the others. Very repetitive.

Chrissy

I’m new to poetry and modern poetry for sure. So far this book has been my favorite modern poetry collection. I marked and tabbed quite a few ones that really spoke to me. Unfortunately I’m still trying to find something profound and deeply moving in poetry so it will get a higher rating. But I am definitely looking forward to more of his work. 
I really enjoyed that there were so many poems written for women by a man.

r.h. Sin

r.h. Sin’s final volume in the Whiskey, Words, and a Shovel series expands on the passion and vigor of his first two installments. His stanzas inspire strength through the raw, emotional energy and the vulnerability of his poems. Relationships, love, pain, and fortitude are powerfully rendered in his poetry, and his message of perseverance in the face of emotional turmoil cuts to the heart of modern-day life. At roughly 300 pages, this culminating volume will be his lengthiest yet.

Whiskey Words & a Shovel III

Larisa Maria 

I did like a few poems...but this book is extremely repetitive (for me at least).

Destiny J Tamayo

Valentina Cely

i have no words to describe how unique and amazing this book is. R.H is able to put what we feel into words and i find that magical. i related to a lot of poems. Also, it made me feel like i had a friend that was there to give me advice. 
I don't know but i just loved it

Becky Clark

This poetry was the song my heart yearned to sing. Everything about r.h. Sin’s work spoke measures to my soul. Only true pain of the heart could be captured so beautifully on the pages of this book. 

Would definitely buy more of their work in the future.

Laura Springall

This book has activated Raging Feminist Mode I'M SO MAD ABOUT IT. I will say that some of the poems are really nice, those being the very few that aren't about women. And there are VERY few that aren't. But for the vast majority of poems in this book that are about women, it's painfully obvious that this was written by a 21st century man. Men who claim to respect women, who say they are so in touch with their feminine side, who really understand the struggles of women. Men who think they know how women feel, how they want to feel, want to be treated, etc., and think that they have the authority to shed light on these things to others. To me, Whiskey, Words & a Shovel read like a Fedora Wearing Dudebro, Knight in Shining Armour type of guy (we all know the type) giving tips to other men on how to pick up women. Like it was a guideline that, if followed correctly, would surely get you laid. All this self-righteous bullshit about still loving a broken woman, as if doing so makes him a saint. Congratulations for being capable of loving someone who has been broken down by so many men in the past, I'm sure you're really proud of yourself. Would you like a fucking medal? A pat on the back for being a decent human being? 

Women do not need men to heal their wounds.
Women do not need men to make them strong.
Women do not need men to have a voice.
Women do not need men to get back on their feet.
WOMEN DO NOT NEED MEN PERIOD.

Blayke 

Brianna Brown

Jessica 

A copy of this novel was provided through NetGalley by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way.


After picking up Whiskey Words & a Shovel III, I am feeling a bit overwhelmed by the way so many readers are expressing their dislike of modern poetry. I have to start my review by saying that I can't really understand people who can't grasp the fact that poetry comes in different formats and has always, at the end of the day, been about the author expressing themselves. What strikes me about modern poetry most is not its length nor its format, it's about how we all have gone about ourselves and what words mean to us. R.H. Sin captures the audience perfectly as we tangle our words with what is printed.

Like so many modern day writers, this is poetry that proves not everything comes in a big package. Collections come and go through the decades but as of recently, so much has been released and explored in the best possible ways. Sin's work is amongst the greats of today and I cannot stress that enough. Above and beyond all of if, this is the sort of poetry that feels like home to our thoughts. One of the greatest things an author can do is relate to their audience and today's generation--I am proud to say--is doing so damn well with it.

Continued: BOOKEDJ

Blog | Twitter | Instagram | Everything is poetry / When your heart is in flames.

Review also found at Booked J. 

Poetry is one of my favourite forms of writing, for those of you who don't know me. It's close to my heart in so many ways. Always will be. For me, it's a level of connection and intimacy--it's getting up close and personal. Whiskey, Words & a Shovel is one of many titles that explores the rawness of human emotion.

When I first began reading modern poets, R.H. Sin's Whiskey Words & a Shovel series was one of my first loves in the genre. Rupi Kaur and R.H. Sin were two of my first loves of modern poets. Recently, I decided to revisit Sin's work in particular after reading a series of critical essays on his words. Out of curiosity, I wanted to see what changed in my mind.

Before I start: anyone who has felt deeply for someone and visited the ups and downs of complex relationships, will feel the way Sin pens his emotional turmoil. Regardless of how you feel about his view of romance, of women, this much is obvious for any reader. Whiskey, Words & a Shovel is like listening to him speak of heartache and passion. It's like talking to a friend.


In all honesty, my view of Sin's work has remained pretty much unchanged. I think that, in a rush to critic someone expressing their own story of love and loss and the inbetweens, many people take one view as The Only Point of View. Which is a mistake. Sin's prose is all his own; it's brief and real, it's sorrow, it's hope, it's passion. This is his story to tell. 

I found myself moved by many moments of this collection because it reminded me of something I felt not so long ago. There's something therapeutic to it. There's just something to it that makes you want to read more of what Sin has to say--to get into his mind, to pick his brain and just hear him out. Whiskey, Words & a Shovel is what poetry is about--expression.

I still love how he captures the imperfections of loving someone. Including himself. There are times that really do feel like he is speaking to you face-to-face and it sends chills up your spine. This goes beyond the prose that is directly speaking to his muse and audience--there's just something to Sin's voice that makes you stop in your tracks and suddenly you're hypnotized.

Is his POV perfect? No. No-one's ever is. That's what makes it special. Sin is as complex as they come. Which is to say, he is human. And Whiskey, Words & a Shovel is proof of that.

Whiskey, Words, and a Shovel

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