There is something to be said for artistic people that cross genres. When I was first introduced to Kipp Poe Speicher it was as an independent film maker, not an author. The fact that these two passions regularly intertwined (in him) eluded me until all of a sudden I started seeing his short stories pop up everywhere.
Speicher is a man that uses fore-sight to write. Here is what I mean. For someone that spends their time manipulating a script into visual stimulation, his use of imagery when writing is astoundingly graphic and detailed. More often than not this trait is lost when a person (who is so focused on the ability to capture an audience through visual means) decides to flip their focus to creating a viable plot/scenario with only the written word.
“Closing My Eyes Helps Me To See Clearly” is made up of only 2 short stories, 1 of which is the namesake for the finished product and the second is “Gas For Grass.” Both are unflinchingly graphic in both the “adult sense” and the “psychotic sense” and take only minutes to read, but what stands out about these 2 very different stories is Speichers use of language.
For example; in “Closing” he uses 3 (very different) characters perspectives to weave one singular apocalyptic plot. Each thought is filled with a slew of colorful adjectives allowing the reader to experience in their head, what would otherwise have been a very captivating scene on screen.
In “Gas For Grass” he detours from the previous floating dialogue and focuses on 1 lone man’s journey to get a little peace and quiet. (which by the way I wasn’t expecting and now has me hoping I never meet Kipp in a dark alley) His writing style makes a very exaggerated left turn, but at the same time still creates a horrifying moving picture in the readers head.
Neither of these stories were perfect, but both show what an amazing talent Speicher has hidden behind closed doors.
If you decide to take a peek at these 2 mildly disturbing literary gems I advise 1 thing. Caution…because neither of them are for the faint of heart.
Happy reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: Weed eaters are really annoying… especially early in the morning when people are trying to sleep.
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[Rating:4.5/5]
