“A literary feat of astonishing power... braided into Bruno's no-holds-barred truth-telling is an unforgettable meditation on the weight of belonging and the true cost of becoming.
Bruno has crafted a bildungsroman mirror where NYC, where our country, can see itself. Prepare to be dazzled.”

-Junot Diaz, author of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, winner of the Pulitzer Prize

"Building Material is delivered in the purest storytelling form: hands rhythmically flying with sound effects on the side.
A tribute to the multiple worlds— and the constant collisions of those worlds-lived by us First-Gen Latino-Americans.
It's a reminder that life is less about winning and more about never giving up. For there isn't a short-term loss that doesn't eventually turn into a long-term gain.
And Stephen Bruno's memoir teaches you just that."

-Abel Veloz, author of Son of a Mujeriego

“Candid and always animated, his memoir offers a unique perspective on achieving the American dream that is as timely as it is refreshing. Engaging reading.”

- Kirkus Reviews

"As a keen-eyed raconteur of New York, Stephen Bruno pulls back the curtain on the quirks and qualms of the city's most well-to-do residents and the essential workers who sustain them.
While being both lighthearted and heartwarming, Building Material is an honest, intimate look into the lives of the often overlooked people who keep a city running and the relatable story of a man determined to give voice to their stories."

-Enrique Acevedo, award-winning news journalist