"If there's an irony in this thinly veiled autobiography, it's that a writer of Gary Reilly's great talent would have judged his younger self so harshly. But Jeremy's Bannister's endless attempts to greet his destiny as a 'big shot novelist' are by turns pathetic, touching, thought provoking, and laugh-out-loud hilarious. This lightning-fast read's strongest appeal will undoubtedly be to other writers-but outsiders and strivers of any stripe will recognize themselves in Jeremy Banister, too. My favorite novel about an outsider author since Sam Savage's Firmin. - author and editor Keir Graff

"With 120 brilliantly chiseled one-page gems, Gary Reilly offers a mock portrait of the young artist, lampooning the naïve literary ambitions too many of us may have suffered through. (Several episodes hit close to home for me!) Bitingly satirical about writing programs and professors and the publishing world and more, Jeremy Bannister also reveals a warmer, more generous humor too-a delightfully poignant mix, with surprises at several turns." - Art Taylor, author of The Boy Detective & The Summer of '74 and Other Tales of Suspense

"I love this book so much. I devoured it page after page like a bag of potato chips yet when I was finished, I felt I'd consumed a full, multi-course feast. There was no guilt from laughing at the clueless foolishness of the title character because I was clearly laughing at myself as a young, self-conscious, bumbling fool trying to escape "real" work and become an artist. With a near Hemingway economy of words, Gary Reilly pinned the tail on my existential donkey with amazing accuracy. Did this guy know me?" - Dan Piraro, creator of Bizarro and Peyote Cowboy