Dan O'Shea's collection OLD SCHOOL from Snubnose Press is well worth a read. The work has a natural feel to it and there's also a huge range of subject-matter.
His first section deals with middle-age.
The opener is a reflective piece about a childhood incident, one that's helped to shape a life .
You'll meet meths addicts here, men facing tough decisions, hit men and guys trying to find different ways out of the holes in which they find themselves. You'll even find Shakespeare, no less.
The Golden Years brings a change of flavour, but continues with O'Shea's sharp, hard-hitting work. There is a slight change of gear, here. O'Shea captures some of the physical hardships of old age, but blesses his characters with tough minds and wills.
One particular tale has us visit to an old-people's home allows us to meet and ex-cop who has his interest in the world rekindled when a new guy is wheeled onto the block. It's a quality piece which could easily be much longer, though is hugely satisfying in this small bite.
After the great starters and a fabulous main course, O'Shea still has the generosity to offer up a couple more as a fine dessert.
I'm looking forward to more short fiction from this guy for, unlike many of his creations, I know there's plenty of life left in this old dog.
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