Into the Early Hours

Gregory Pike is a sessional English instructor at the Memorial
University of Newfoundland.

Hunter’s poetry is acutely powerful, brilliantly evocative, and highly
rewarding. There are echoes of Seamus Heaney in Hunter’s voice, though
I hesitate to attribute that to mere borrowing or direct influence;
rather, there is a similar strength to be found in both Heaney and
Hunter, so those who appreciate Heaney will do well to seek out Hunter.
The poem “Fixed” begins with a memorable image that’s indicative
of the collection’s overall texture: “It’s in the way a man can
stand / on the slope of a roof in the rain / a blowtorch in his left
hand.”

Hunter’s primary strength is her ability to make the reader see a
scene anew. Her debut collection of poems boldly announces the emergence
of a major poetic talent.