Critical Commentary
“Quiet wonder and clear-eyed serenity flow through Michael P. Hill’s poems, which find the sacred in the everyday and the modest in the sacred: a stranger’s grief at the vet’s office; a fisherman’s view of a stalking heron; reflections on those who’ve left us. These are works in which simplicity is celebrated, experience vividly recalled, and the natural world impeccably observed, and all of them—all—are deeply felt. One of the particular joys of Hill’s work is his apparently effortless equanimity; he’s not seeking to reassure us—that would be cheap, egotistical—but that’s precisely what these poems do in their calm embrace of the complicated multivalence of these works-in-progress we call lives. The reader enters the river with its swirling, sun-dappled surface and its teeming life below, then reemerges feeling more connected to the earth, more appreciative of the limited time we have on it, and more connected to those with whom we share it. It’s a joy.”
~ Doug Dorst, author of S., The Surf Guru and Alive in Necropolis
“In narratives that pendulum between humor, poignancy, and a sweetness that resists sentimentality, Michael P. Hill’s poems never force, push, or pander—but “urge with a tender heave.” Here, you will find a voice that feels familiar, friendly, and wise—an invitation and guide “pointing [you] down memory lanes.” Walk those lanes a while; see them anew.”
~ Benjamin Cutler, author of Wild Silence and The Geese Who Might Be Gods
“Michael P. Hill’s poems move with patience through the intersection of place, music, and family, all while avoiding sentimentality. Reading Junk Drawer feels like hearing a forgotten song and having it blossom into a vibrant memory. These poems are image-rich, playful, understated, and filled with careful observations about the genealogy of curating a poetic life. Whether the focus is a backyard game of catch, morning on a familiar river, or browsing in a record store, Hill’s seemingly simple forms ask us to linger on experiences we might otherwise overlook as we speed past.”
~Andrew Jones, author of Liner Notes
