Brian lived aboard a 29-foot Ericson called Star Fox and a 33-and-a-half-foot Hunter called The Arctic Loon alternately for three years.

His time spent working in various marinas along the Columbia River immersed him in the gritty reality of river-community life. Brian was the recipient of the James Patrick Folinsbee Award for creative writing at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada, where he received his Master of Arts degree in English. He is an active member of the Portland literary scene, and his stories and essays have appeared in R.K.V.R.Y. Literary Journal, The Music Liberation Project, The Portland Spectator, and A Write Around Portland Anthology.