Strange Dreams

Brian Andreas' work is always so amazing. His words are so simple, yet poetic, funny, and true. When I read his stories, I find myself either crying, laughing, or searching myself. I love how he can take a regular situation that many people fail to hold sacred, such as sitting with a loved one on a summer's night, and turns it into something profoundly beautiful.

The thoughts Brian Andreas captures and illustrates for us seem like they could be from anyone's life, and many struck a chord from my own. There's some sibling rivalry, parental joy towards children, the stirrings of love, the reality of the working world, and some things that defy categorization. The artwork, at first glance, looks like something a parent would stick on the fridge after pre-school, but on further viewing strikes a very grown-up sense of balance with the verses penned above, below, and around the pictures. If the prose doesn't have you laughing out loud, it might make you sigh, smile, or think back to a memory the words evoke in your own experience. Overall, this was a wonderful read I'll be recommending to friends and buying for family.

Brian Andreas' poetry was displayed on his "story people" in a local art store; I wish I had a house big enough to cover the walls with his work. His "stories" are one or two-liners that seem pulled from a delightful dream to instantly wrap around your heart. It's not always clear if they were written with the musings of an adult or the wisdom of a child, but be careful - you may catch yourself laughing aloud with a tear in your eye.