Points of Departures
AUTHOR
Paul Hogan
A compelling debut collection from Buffalo poet Paul Hogan, described by critic R.D. Pohl as "one of the Buffalo arts community's most influential voices." Winner of the David Gray Fellowship in Poetry and Letters and the Academy of American Poets College Competition (AbeBooks), Hogan brings decades of experience as a cultural advocate and radio host to these carefully crafted poems. His work explores moments of transition and transformation with insight shaped by his deep engagement with Western New York's literary community, including his years hosting the "Writer's Cramp Reading Series" and NPR's "Spoken Arts Radio." Published by White Pine Press, this collection showcases a vital voice in contemporary American poetry—one rooted in place, community, and the enduring power of language to illuminate our shared human experience.
Reviews
“Individually powerful and collectively poignant, these poems explore the world of the male in pain, and his struggle to understand why. This poetry strives for an appreciation of what it means to be raised male in America in the past half-century, both considering generations of deep, Irish ambivalence and recent, personal relationships gone awry. Either way, any notions about masculinity or identity that readers of either sex bring to these poems will be challenged.”
—Peter F. Murphy, author of Studs, Tools, and the Family Jewels: Metaphors Men Live By
Paul Hogan is a poet and vice president of the John R. Oishei Foundation.