“Frank O’Hara’s call for poetry “better than the movies” suggests qualities of movement, vividness, clarity and music: a high standard, met by the poems of Moist Meridian. It won’t do to exaggerate the cinematic quality of the poems, with their flashes of narrative, rapid cuts, crisp dialogue, fresh characters; the kind of thinking and the language are those of a poet— and  distinctively reflective poet. The compression and swift varying of mood are those of poetry, as in the opening sentence-fragment of “Black Walnuts,”: little charred brains/ on November streets, where folks from Hope House/ lurch and bump, run rain-suited/ down to Rick’s Coffee and the market,/ over-greeting the kind and idle.” Alertness, generosity, irony and candor govern these poems, which are endlessly curious about the relations among people, with sex, friendship, marriage and alienation examples of an abiding, fearful but engaging mystery. An engaging, uneasy and clear-sighted book.”

Donald Wolff reviews Moist Meridian for Cloudbank Books:

“To each endeavor he brings a sharp acuity and sustaining belief in poetic imagination.”

Henry’s poetry is featured on Dave Jarecki’s guest writers series.

Western Oregon Journal discusses Henry Hughes’ work: “Scribbler of scenes: Dr. Henry Hughes’s Moist Meridian highlights the poetry of everyday lives.”

Paul Thompson Reads Moist Meridian

“Literazzi” will be a series of posts with reader-submitted photo’s of themselves or others (with permission) reading in public.  If you would like to be featured in a future Literazzi post please email your picture to literazzi@readinglocal.com.