From review and art critic of the author's work, 2004/05:

It's said in the old song that "everybody loves a lover". The same love we feel for special persons as some of the artists may be. This is a book about a young artist who might be the one of those, and being written by himself it allows us not just to discover the things that are on his mind daily and the ways how the art is being born out of nothing and with lots of love for the people, but also we feel befriended by the whole world described there, and although sometimes shocked and sometimes sentimental we become secret admirers of his energy, talent and creative endeavor.

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This book is in some of this pages a shamanic dance of ideas and facts of urban life in NJ seen by the artist's eye and described by not less powerful language, while the others may take us to the hidden places of creation, past, mythical realms or the warm atmosphere of the family house where the studio is brewing with creation like a beehive.

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If you read the book "Dear Theo" with your love of Van Gogh on your mind then "The Flame" can be even more exciting read because it speaks of the artistic process of a contemporary artist, the one who is still not known in wide artistic circles and audience. It feels challenging for a reader to peek into his life as it is for him to peek into his future as an artist, still unknown. We can't help to ask ourselves, will this one be a new Picasso, as we read about his feeling alone with his art.

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Faced to the world and his art the author is using it to meditate and seek for better expressions in his journals and letters to his friend he is often linking his creative and intellectual efforts with spiritual experience. So all those who are interested in the process of artistic creation and creativity itself will find this book of interest and value, because it exposes the the soul of an artist, brilliant observer and a sensitive man in urban environment.

The style and language is also interesting as the expression shifts from prose to poetry documenting the days of changeable mood and discoveries of the artist that are amazing for the imagination of people who often just pass by the same scenes not giving to them any notice. The author has warm and persuasive voice that drags you into his story and makes you feel like you are walking with him, talking with people and listening to their stories on the train stations, sneaking under the bridges and staying with his paintings in his attic studio.

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This could easily become a cult book for a generation of urban artists of the beginning of 21st century in America, but also in any other place of the world as his explorations tackle many questions of general humanity and the role of the art and artist in the world today.

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To get close with the paintings of Daniel Brophy (and closeness also include the external often unprotected space) we need first to get out of safety of our inner worlds and take a courage to look at them. The subject of his acrylics is only seemingly from this side of the hither polyvalence. The palette is expressionistic, and figures are succinct and clear, free of insisting in details and without grandeur of powerful and calming gestures.

In these paintings there are also the intervals, intersections and inter-realities which open the space to an intuitive life and imaginary problems that are communicated the metaphoric way. Activating his artistic skills creative human-centric way and wisely applying "and-and" logic, Daniel virtuously escaped to get trapped by sterile zealotry, skipped over naive humanism and endowed us with the paintings that have soul.