RaveChicago Review of BooksIn Brinkley’s work, no character is left untended, no aspect of identity is overlooked, and the results are well-inhabited worlds that feel infinite ... No other writer comes to mind that does such a sound job of creating dissonance between the emotions young men feel in actuality and what they believe is representative of manhood ... Brinkley is a deft architect, one whose mastery of craft shines through innovation rather than recreation ... A Lucky Man is not only a standout debut for the year, but also a testament to what can be achieved in a short story.
Denis Johnson
RaveChicago Review of Books\"And yet, Johnson’s mastery has always been portraying such characters with sincerity and ingenuity ... The title story and “Doppelganger, Poltergeist” — which bookend the collection — are unquestionably brilliant. Here, Johnson meticulously layers narratives in a way that seems impossible without years of drafting (which, in fact, was the case).\
