Memory Care by Matthew Chronister

In Memory Care, Matthew Chronister chronicles the “slow decline” of a grandparent’s aging and the trajectory toward the lack of self-sufficiency characteristic of the “assisted living facility.” Having worked in such a place, Chronister becomes our guide as we accompany him on Dantesque rounds, encountering residents who, despite all they have lost, struggle to maintain their identity and dignity. These sure-footed and moving poems reveal harsh realities, forcing the reader to reconsider the nature of both memory and care.

–Joshua McKinney, author of Small Sillion