“A world takes place here with extraordinary economy: articulate, fragile, heartfelt.”
—Robert Creeley
“Herd’s pieces are tightly crafted, many honing in on a single scene or conversation. His sharp prose cuts cleanly in and out of the lives of his myriad protagonists.”
—Foxing Review
“If you love to read, you’ll be thinking, This is what words in a story ought to do.”
—Electric Literature
“Dale Herd’s writing has affected the way I look at the world, as well as opening me up to one more possibility of how to transform the world into words, and his books certainly deserve a place on the highest shelf.”
—American Book Review
“Empty Pockets provides a fine overview to the work of a writer whose work eludes easy description, but remains ahead of its time. Whether in his blending of the traditional and the experimental, or in distilling stories down to a precisely phrased form, these stories offer plenty to savor.”
—The Star Tribune