In every sense of the word, Alex Woodard is a storyteller. Be it as a songwriter or an author, the man has built a career out of sharing tales that resonate with his audience. Ten years ago, the singer asked his fans to share their stories. The open-request inspired countless letters and ultimately resulted in a critically-acclaimed, genre-bending novel/album combo, For The Sender. Since then, Woodard has continued to weave together his music and writing, creating an anthology series of sorts exploring enduring topics like love, loss, and war. With his latest release, OPEN UP, Woodard turns the spotlight on himself, delivering one of the starkest artistic statements of his career.

Envisioned as an “unruly fraternal twin” to his recently-released novella, Living Halfway, OPEN UP is essentially a collection of highly personal essays. Still, there is little here that will remind readers of a standard biography or memoir. Woodard’s stream-of-conscious voice and continued refusal to adhere to any overarching format may serve as a barrier of entry for some, but patience and an open mind are ultimately rewarded. Not unlike flipping through an uncaptioned photo album, even without the benefit of context, the author’s evocative, imagery-laden writing eventually settles into a narrative. The chapters are perhaps best thought of as scenes from a dream, vignettes that offer a glimpse into the author’s fractured recollections of his life and times.

For instance, during a chapter entitled “Rilke,” a routine trip to the airport is partitioned with thoughts on the famed poet (Rainer Maria Rilke), the audience and their evolving expectations, and even an unsettling encounter while driving. Throughout the chapter, Woodward toys with punctuation, structure, and grammar, rendering a mini-narrative that successfully conveys the randomness of thought that often accompanies a long drive. Long, comma-laden sentences careen into fragments, evoking the illusion of prose while satisfying the requirements for narrative. This effect continues throughout OPEN UP, as Woodward tackles a myriad of disparate subjects. Be it unpacking heartfelt fan letters (Emily) or a candid recollection of adolescent trials and tribulations (Eleven), Woodard cleverly recounts scenes from his life. The effect is potent, and by the end, readers will feel that much more acquainted with the man behind the music.

Obviously, OPEN UP is the work of Alex Woodard the author, but it bears mentioning that the man’s experiences as a lifelong musician inform much of his writing. To that end, a familiarity with Woodard’s music provides a healthy dose of (occasionally necessary) context to his many escapades. From his alt-country roots to the refined Americana permeating his recent EP’s, Woodard’s catalog is an enduring testament to the singer’s storytelling ability.

As difficult as it may be to describe something that defies description, Alex Woodard’s OPEN UP falls squarely into that category—a work so full of intangible inspiration it has to be read from cover to cover to be fully appreciated.

~James Weiskittel for IndieReader