The Best Seats In The House and Other Stories

               Keith Lee Morris                     

Contents

The Best Seats In The House               B

Objects Past The Shoreline                  A

Geraldine Lovers                                 C

The Silver Valley                                 B

The Children Of Dead State Troopers A

Losing Julia Finch                                C

Minor Injuries                                      A

Mr. Jordan’s Arrival                            B

San Diego Dreams                               A

Astronauts                                            B

The Best Seats In The House

            Keith Lee Morris structures the story in sections that may feel messy but is a creative way to convey the plot. This story is written in first person point of view. Each part of the story reveals a relationship that the narrator has with another character and develops more information about both. It achieves having an important role for each character and the frustrations that the main character expresses are conveyed. Everything matters and every detail is important to the character. The writer recycles what is written and an example is the story of the son. In the first few pages, it is told by the narrator but later, it is told by the wife in dialogue. The setting is never wasted and always brought back into use. Keith Morris keeps the reader envisioning seasons to interpret the passing of time.

            Each scene is detailed enough so that dialogue between the characters can work to enhance conflict. Especially in the part where the narrator fumes over his son’s future with his father. In the flashbacks, the narrator shows positive notes but the present situation is gloomy in relation. It is like the writer was making a before and after story for each scene. This shows that change did not have a positive impact on the main character and he is internally frustrated with his current state.

            The story explores each of the characters well in the first person point of view. In my opinion, it could have conveyed the desires of the narrator better. The structure seemed distracting but it was also interesting as it intertwined most material from each passing scene told. The most thrilling part was the action dialogue that occurred between the narrator and his father. Instead of escalating, the scene dimmed down towards the end. It left me believing that the narrator was not doubting his son in succeeding but was afraid of believing it due to his own failure in the past.

Objects Past The Shoreline

Keith Lee Morris writes this story in first person point of view. The plot progresses with despair as the main character loses his sight. Blindness works as the chronic issue of the story alongside the acute events incorporated to set the mood in continuum. The connection of each acute event and the loss of sight gradually has enhanced the emotional fear from the main character. In the incident where Michael finds the snake and lets it go, he comes to realize that he will never be able to see another one again and therefore holds on to it with awe like that of a child. He fears the blur in his eyes when he looks out at the white church steeple. The strong bond that was once there between Michael and his love is now dying as his eyes are. Eventually the girl will leave him and so will his sight. These incidents succeed in building the main character.

The story stirs the heart and effectively saddens the reader. What is done well is the mention of seasons changing like Michael’s eyes changes as they weaken. Time continues to pass and the seasons show it. The summer times are harsh on Michael, and the writer makes it obvious in how he expresses the familiarity of the pain each time it passes by. The change in the seasons also is likely connected to the change in Michael’s sight. Relationships between friends and family seem to be the only thing comforting the main character through his pain. There is a slight repetition pattern going on with how the eyes weaken, the seasons change, the acute issue creeping over the plot and then the comfort from the relationships secured in the story.

It was heartbreaking to see the narrator go through losing his sight and letting go of his previous life to have another one that disabled him to do what he used to do. The way this story was written made me feel like this character was real, and I was reading his diary or journal. The writer expressed the love from the father well and emphasized it through dialogue. It slowed the pace of the story by allowing a time to accept being blind instead of just simply stating that the narrator was blind. The narrator crying the restroom is just one of the many examples of sensory experience.

Minor Injuries

            This story is written in first person point of view. Keith Lee Morris writes the story in an amusing way, making the tone and attitude fun to read. It was nice to explore the mind of the character in depth and so detailed. Considering how the story progresses into a serious situation, the readers can be a bit confused by the nature of expressions that the main character portrays. The writer effectively makes the character stand out with those highly influenced emotions in each scenario. There is no shift in the style of writing that creates the overall attitude which makes each tensed situation that the character believes he can solve to be appealing.

            Taking advantage of this effect has led to the well use of dialogue. Each scene is set by the emotion of the character and produces a ground for dialogue. Knowing that the main character is aware of Jimmy being a potential problem, three guys enter Drover’s store with the association of being acquaintances of Jimmy. This builds a bigger problem for the main character and dialogue begins with the character trying to assess the situation. The writer compels a rich emphasis to the thoughts and feelings of the main character and his actions that reflect those emotions.

            The way the writer makes the character think and rethink everything grabs my attention. However, the character becomes more annoying and a bit strange after that. This one does the best at making the character because it addresses background information, thoughts and feelings, action, sensory experience, and speech. It only lacks in physical appearance but that does not matter so much for the narrator. The other characters have physical appearance descriptions. The complexity inside of Toby’s mind is flawlessly executed and is the core of the problems that escalate.

Links

Interviews and More:

https://www.bookbrowse.com/biographies/index.cfm/author_number/1630/Keith-L-Morris

http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/books/ct-prj-travelers-rest-keith-lee-morris-20151231-story.html

https://readtowritestories.com/tag/keith-lee-morris/

http://therumpus.net/2016/03/the-rumpus-interview-with-keith-lee-morris/

Buy books from:

https://www.amazon.com/Keith-Lee-Morris/e/B001JS9AI0

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/keith+lee+morris/_/N-8q8?_requestid=100580