Winter Solstice — Michael Hogan

“Hogan's poems are virtually free of the ego and fake emotion, the public posturing and self-regard that infect so much recent poetry. For Hogan to undertake the poem is to undertake the possibility of radical transformation. The humility and compassion of his poems warm me when others leave me chilled to the bone. He rewards the reader with intelligence and warmth and a wide sweep of understanding.” Sam Hamill, American Poetry Review. “This long-awaited gathering of Michael Hogan's poems contains his most memorable and disturbing work. Hogan built his reputation among small presses and chapbook publishers, creating finely crafted poems full of demonic power and dark beauty. He is a poet who learned the hard way about the saving power of poetry. His presence is troubling because he reminds us that poets who write to cut people with the truth can never go away. Hogan understands what it takes to make us listen and he has never given up.” Ray Gonzalez, Bloomsbury Review