“Like the canvases of Willem de Kooning himself, Kerry Lee Powell’s stories are riots of imagery and sensation held together with a keen eye for craft and composition. The book’s rag-tag, rough-and-tumble cast of characters —which includes aging exotic dancers, barflies, boozehounds, and possible gang members — is often struggling, occasionally down-and-out, but always represented with dignity and respect. Willem de Kooning’s Paintbrush is an exquisitely written, vibrant, and thoughtful collection that pulses with life, humour, intelligence, and great feeling, one that signals a bold new direction for the Canadian short story.” — 2016 Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize Jury (Lauren B. Davis, Trevor Ferguson, and Pasha Malla)