Fog Slow To Clear [Paperback]

James P. Morrison (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 17, 1999

Poetry and prose by James Morrison.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

An actor and filmmaker as well as playwright, James Morrison is a native of Utah and product of Alaska. He works at many of America's foremost regional theatres and has made numerous film and television appearances. His short films have screened at film festivals world wide and his plays have been produced and workshopped across the country.

Product Details

• Paperback: 71 pages
• Publisher: Spectral Productions (September 17, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1891980017
• ISBN-13: 978-1891980015
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,617,934 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Knock Out Read, December 11, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Fog Slow To Clear (Paperback)

Having been a long-time fan of Mr. Morrison in his work as an actor and playwrite, I was eager to read his poetry. I don't think I fully understood most of the poetry and so could not fully appreciate it. I tend to read poetry as I read prose (EA Poe was my favorite).

However my friend the therapist, who has a fine appreciation for poetry, loved all of it. Her favorite poem was, CHROMATURITY.

My favorite was, THE NEWS, which spoke to me about issues close to my heart. My other favorite was, WHITE NOISE, which I found to be emotionally and sensually evocative.

The poem I hated was, MAKING A PROFIT. I felt disgusted and turned off after reading it the first time. I didn't like that *my* James Morrison (who is probably nothing like the real James Morrison) could live a life that could produce such a poem. So actually, I guess, that was one of my favorites, too.

As for the famed potty words, I am embarrassed to say, I had to re-read the book several times before I could discern them. They didn't jump out at me.

The prose monologues were great. They took me away from myself, to feel the world through the eyes of people who were alien to me.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Thoughtful ideas on a variety of subjects., October 25, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Fog Slow To Clear (Paperback)

I am familiar with Mr. Morrison's work as an actor, director and playright. I enjoyed his first foray into the medium of poetry and prose very much. Poetry is, probably more than any other type of work, intensely personal and subjective. Those reading it must remember that they are looking through a window into the thoughts, and possibly the very soul, of the author. While I can't say I understood each and every poem in this collection, they all made me think. Those dealing with personal relationships, with love, with being a parent evoked the most response as they are universal concepts with which we can all identify. I look forward to Mr. Morrison's next project with enthusiasm.

5 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fine Poetry, January 17, 2000

By 

S. Marmon-kaczorowski "TweetieGrammy" (U.S.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fog Slow To Clear (Paperback)

I recently purchased this book, largely because the reviews seemed to unfairly to focus so much on the author's work as an actor when reviewing his poetry. I am glad I bought it. I found the poems to be very well-crafted, sometimes disturbing, and filled with images so beautiful that I envied his ability to compose them.

I have spent a good part of my adult life (I will soon be 49) in a love affair with poetry. I've learned that the words that compose a poem, including four-letter words people may find offensive, should weave together to form a powerful/moving/exquisite/upsetting, etc., experience for the reader. In fact, if the poet weaves well, the words should acquire a meaning deeper than their individual, dictionary or common usage definitions. Mr. Morrison weaves very well indeed. His poetry does what I expect of good poetry - it makes me think about both the whole poem and the meaning of the words that compose that whole.

Poetry is also intensely personal. It will always be somewhat self-focused because the poet is trying to communicate his or her experiences and understanding to the reader through the poem. It works when the poet can transform that personal, private understanding into an experience that the reader can access and translate into or equate to an equally personal, private experience. Successful poetry, such as Mr. Morrison writes (including the prose poems in the book), challenges the reader to work both intellectually and emotionally for that access.

I like the hard bargain Mr. Morrison drives with his reader. If I wanted immediate gratification, I would head for the greeting card section at the local drugstore. Instead, I choose to add this book to books of modern poetry I read again and again. I hope Mr. Morrison writes and publishes more poems. I look forward to reading them and to a further challenge to bring his understanding of what it means to be human into my own.