How superbly imagined these pieces are, with surprises at every turn. M. G. Stephens is a writer forever interested in the endless wandering mystery of being human. The book is a treasure.Joan Silber, author of ImprovementOn M. G. Stephens“Michael Stephens’ voice prowls through his own experience with a savage yet lyrical intensity. An impressive book.”Rudolph Wurlitzer“It is a joy to read because Michael Stephens is such a superb writer, a master of language, in short, a poet. In his immaculate artistry he has given us another way of perceiving our lives and our struggle, forcing us to ask ourselves what our legacy will be.”Hubert Selby Jr.“It’s an eloquent style that calls for reading aloud, an urban Irish style perhaps, perfect for nipping out the back door, rolling garbage cans as obstacles after you, and loping over the rooftops to safety in a vacant lot.”Rolling Stone“Great God a-mighty! The Brooklyn Book of the Dead is one powerful, beautifully written book. One of the absolute mysteries of art is that it can depict the ugly, the revolting, and the nauseating so that the attractiveness of the performance, and its truth, balance the grime of the subject matter. Am I on course to see both Joyce and Barthelme in this 400-horse-power prose?”Guy Davenport“Michael Stephens was my Dante into dark and dangerous places that native Irish writers never knew. Mr. Stephens, sardonic, witty, places his characters in the path of an oncoming future that seems to offer little hope though you know in the end they’ll prevail.”Frank McCourt