Apple Season
"Whatever tools we have we will employ to preserve our memories, the poem among the best of mediums, especially in the graceful hands of Cindy Hunter Morgan. There is no doubt the poems in this chapbook are born of the purist memories – and memory is a fickle motion, that, once stored away, is only fresh once whether it sits for days or decades. After that, it must be repackaged, becomes a memory of a memory and soon, distortion warps it sideways. So when a memory is extra-precious, it is sad to recall it knowing it will never be so sharp again. Thus art. Thus Apple Season. At first touch, this little book is immediately personal, loved, a hand-made treasure chest. Inside, the poems weave a container as ethereal as any thought, but as reliable as any equation. There is no chance these poems will give out under the weight they carry in memory. So potent are these poems, Apple Season goes beyond the physical weather – each poem in this collection is its own apple and the season is eternal for the reader. 'Hay Season' (p. 15) first appeared in the July 2011 issue of The Michigan Poet. Since then, Cindy Hunter Morgan's poems have charmed us again and again. It's with great pleasure I offer this review of her superb work." -- Foster Neill, Editor of The Michigan Poet
The Sultan, The Skater, The Bicycle Maker
"...A phenomenal mixture of history, subtle magical realism, and character study that feels as if it should be printed on parchment or papyrus or in an 18th century diary or on the back of a damaged antique map. Each poem deals with the practitioner of a different trade during a different historical period, which gives the impression of enormous scope despite the slender length. Yet, each poem is also highly individual and pierces quickly and deeply into a single rich life experience. I read it twice in a row, and even on the second read some of Morgan's quiet shifts into the supernatural made me catch my breath. I'm excited about this chapbook, and I can't recommend it enough." -- Justin Hamm, Editor of The Museum of Americana. Blogger at Noise for its Own Sake
"First off, I love this [chap]book. On to the skinny: It's set up in one continuous section, with each poem exploring the humanity of a profession. From the very first lines, Cindy sets a tone that is immediately both, in her own words in The Clockmaker, “precise and mysterious.” While the titles define individuals by profession, the poems define professions by the individuals. Very nice. But there's more to this book than idea – there's a supreme sense of love throughout this book, a love that is both mythic and ordinary – the magic of the everyday illuminated with elegant articulations that not only capture my attention, but also reflect on my own life, deepening my sense of self, place, and purpose. This is a book anyone, young or old, literary or not, will enjoy and carry in their thoughts. Hers are poems that, in speaking of life's secret magic, reproduce it within the reader." -- Foster Neill, Editor of The Michigan Poet
"First off, I love this [chap]book. On to the skinny: It's set up in one continuous section, with each poem exploring the humanity of a profession. From the very first lines, Cindy sets a tone that is immediately both, in her own words in The Clockmaker, “precise and mysterious.” While the titles define individuals by profession, the poems define professions by the individuals. Very nice. But there's more to this book than idea – there's a supreme sense of love throughout this book, a love that is both mythic and ordinary – the magic of the everyday illuminated with elegant articulations that not only capture my attention, but also reflect on my own life, deepening my sense of self, place, and purpose. This is a book anyone, young or old, literary or not, will enjoy and carry in their thoughts. Hers are poems that, in speaking of life's secret magic, reproduce it within the reader." -- Foster Neill, Editor of The Michigan Poet