The Psychology of Aging

Over the course of his collection, Brinkley explores the psychological effects of aging through a diverse network of characters. While not every one of his stories features an adult narrator reflecting on his youth, each of Brinkley’s narratives leans on heavy submersion within the protagonist’s past and familial history. Each character is grounded in a definite narrative present in which events spur reflection on the events, traumas, or undiscovered mysteries of his past.

In “No More Than a Bubble,” the first person narrator Ben is a college sophomore, beginning to navigate life beyond the confines of his parents. Ben’s perpetual mentions of his father’s habits, advice, the arc of his evolution from charismatic young man to ailing lonely elder, act as a map by which Ben begins to understand the possible directive of his own life.

Similarly, the narratives...