Most academic discussion and recognition of Bringhurst's work in Haida has been positive. Linguist Dell Hymes wrote a review of the "Masterworks of the Classical Haida Mythtellers" trilogy (of which "A Story as Sharp as a Knife" is part) in "Language in Society", praising the trilogy. He said it "should become a classic reference point" for Haida scholars in the future. In 2004, Bringhurst won the Edward Sapir Prize for "Masterworks of the Classical Haida Mythtellers". The committee giving the award was headed by Leanne Hinton, an expert in American Indian languages, and chair of the Department of Linguistics at the University of California, Berkeley.