Witness

-The New Yorker

"Racism, police brutality, failing social support systems, violence in social media, economic hardship-Brinkley bears witness to these topics . . . with searing beauty and grace."
-Monika Dziamka, Chicago Review of Books

"Short stories that in their depth of feeling, perception, and sense of place affirm their author's bright promise . . . [They] carry a rich veneer worthy of such exemplars of the form as Chekhov, Eudora Welty, Alice Munro, and James Alan McPherson . . . After just two collections, Brinkley may already be a grand master of the short story."
-Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"In his dazzling sophomore collection, Brinkley digs into the promises and dangers of intimacy and the costs of speaking up or staying silent . . . Throughout, Brinkley crafts unforgettable portraits, humming with barely restrained tension, of Black men and women exploring what it means to be part of families and communities that are awash in hope and disappointment alike. These intimate vignettes have the power to move readers."
-Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Exceptional . . . [Witness journeys] deep into the human heart with precise language and a generous spirit."
-Bookpage (starred review)

"Remarkable . . . Offer[s] compelling explorations of life's borderlands and the quietly stunning revelations that can be found there."
-Booklist

"Brinkley keenly explores [his characters'] predicaments with grace and wit."
-Mark Athitakis, Los Angeles Times

"This tender short story collection digs into the line between witnessing and acting, with a set of characters ranging from children to grandparents. Brinkley leads readers through the subtle and dramatic moments of life, grappling with the question of what this life means."
-Shelbi Polk, Shondaland

"Portraits of intimacy and friendship, grief and mourning . . . Expect this to be one of the standout collections of the year."
-Dan Sheehan, Literary Hub

"Jamel Brinkley is one of the best story writers we have. Witness is a book of psychological acuity, of graceful sentences, of devastation and heart. Read everything this man writes-and know the world anew."
-Justin Torres, author of Blackouts

"Jamel Brinkley reminds one of the iconic short-story writers Edward P. Jones and Mavis Gallant. This is a dazzling collection by a masterful storyteller."
-Yiyun Li, author of The Book of Goose

"In Witness, Jamel Brinkley explores the longings and fears of his characters with a tenderness and a generosity of spirit that make the reader hurt when they hurt, and rejoice in life's surprising moments of joy alongside them."
-Angela Flournoy, author of The Turner House

"Jamel Brinkley's sentences are daggers. He writes about the shifting intimacies of community and love with wit and warmth."
-Raven Leilani, author of Luster

"We call up the names of short story greats to describe Jamel Brinkley's writing, but his stories are lucidly and assuredly his own. His seemingly effortless style is recognizable within a paragraph. His evocation of character and place is second-to-none. There is all the involvedness and complexity of a novel in each story, which makes this collection so abundant and wise. A brilliant writer."
-Caoilinn Hughes, author of The Wild Laughter

"These are stories of rare beauty and insight, that glitter with humor and hurt, written with lambent clarity and tenderness about family and marriage, love and brokenness. Brinkley has the same sure and affecting understanding of purpose and loss, of human temporality-our meanings in and out of time-that Edward P. Jones does, the close, compelling texture and wisdom of Mavis Gallant, and an honoring of and commitment to mystery that is his own."
-David Hayden, author of Darker With the Lights On