UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO LINKS
In Hugh MacDonald's poetry, one touches upon reality in a sudden and
surprising way. His poems revolve around growing up in the Maritimes
and the memories of his grandfather. MacDonald writes about farming
on Prince Edward Island where the earth is hard and red, and about
the daily life on the eastern seaboard — going to church, buying a
car, first marriage, and the existential loneliness of a writer.
—WFNS: imPRESSed (Cold Against the Heart)
In The Digging of Deep Wells MacDonald takes the reader
into his confidence on a private journey through the emotional and
spiritual responses the poet has toward middle age, parenthood,
pivotal moments in adolescence and hidden male vulnerability.
There are, in this mostly narrative selection of poetry, verses
of celebration depicting what it is like to play hockey, grow up,
attend church, and live in pastoral P.E.I. There are also verses
that tell of the frustration MacDonald feels as a helpless observer
in a world that, despite the advent of each new generation,
remains as illogical as ever.
—Black Moss Press
J. Hugh MacDonald's works copyright © to the author.