Spotlight Review
Holy whoa. Like seriously, whoa.
Current writer crush – Odie Lindsey
Just finished his collection of short
stories, We Come to Our Senses.
If you haven’t heard about it, Lindsey’s
work is almost novel-like in its feel. Stories of veterans, both male and
female, are told in the pages of the work and it examines issues relating to
what it means to be a modern-day veteran. The prose is lyrical, engaging,
captivating. I’m generally a fast reader, but this was a work that I just didn’t
want to put down. I didn’t want it to end.
Lindsey’s style is one that allows the
reader to become so consumed by the lives of his characters that it’s
impossible not to carry a piece of their stories along with me every day.
Because I live at an Army post, because I see men and women in uniform every
single day, because my house shakes with artillery fire and Black Hawk
helicopters routinely train overhead, I felt like this work really spoke to the
challenges that active and veteran Soldiers really face. It’s not the glossed
over standard fare of writing about veteran life. Sure, there are some themes
that seem to repeat in war stories – alcohol, struggles with intimate
relationships, challenges with sleep, but the way that Lindsey presents his characters
is unique, engaging, thrilling.
The characters in this collection are
varied, coming from myriad backgrounds with distinct voices. The author’s
ability to translate the challenges of being a veteran into something that
rings true is nothing short of amazing. I don’t mean to gush SO much, but
seriously. Lindsey writes like no one I have ever read.
The thing about these kinds of stories,
about the kind of voice that Lindsey brings to the page is that it makes me
want to be a better writer. It makes me look at my own work and ribbon in some
of the fluidity, the beauty, the seemingly effortlessness that he makes look so
damn easy. Bravo!
What do you think? Have you read this
collection? Thoughts on Lindsey’s writing style? Join the conversation here,
over on Facebook, or on Twitter.
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