Morgan Sanders, creator of famous comic strip, publishes first poetry collection

By Linda Fields
MILFORD — Artist, photographer, and writer Morgan Sanders says poetry was never the primary focus of her wide-ranging creative talents. But you wouldn’t know it from reading her poems.
A collection of the Milford resident’s work, titled "Looking for Lola," was recently published and includes a collection of her drawings. Fine art and photography, in fact, made up a large part of Sanders’ early career as an artist and teacher. But she can also lay claim to having authored a successful children’s book, "Alexander and the Magic Mouse," which was published in 1969.
"Looking for Lola" is the first published collection of her poems. It takes the reader on a journey that reveals a reverence for nature, or shares a moment in time, or exposes a personal heartbreak.
Among those who admired her work include the renowned late poet May Swenson. Sanders' poems are adept in imagery and diction. But Sanders is modest.
“It takes about ten years to learn one’s craft, and I threw out some poems that I thought were too self-conscious before I hit my stride," she said.
The collected poems were written largely when she lived in Manhattan in the 1960s and taught art in private schools.
In 1973, Sanders helped found SOHO20, one of the first all-woman cooperative art galleries in Manhattan. There, she showed her paintings and photography. Also during the '70s, Sanders’ work appeared in the form of a weekly cartoon strip in a community newspaper. The strip depicted the antics of her feline protagonist, Branwell Snit, based on her real-life cat, who was adopted and brought home to live with fellow felines Charlotte and Emily, creating a Brontë sibling triumvirate.
“Branwell Snit used to sit on the floor and watch me draw his comic strip," Sanders said.
Sidekick Monroe the bird often appears in the strip. Kenneth the dog makes occasional appearances.
"The Branwell Snitbook," published in 2016, is a collection of the strips and includes an introduction by art historian Andrew Hottle.
Some of Sanders’ artwork, including an impressive 93-pound, three-dimensional mixed media piece titled “Seas, Skies and Sails," will be donated to Rowan University in New Jersey. Multi-talented and quite engaging, Sanders is originally from Utah, and moved to Milford from Bellingham, Washington. She currently shares her home with her two cats, Gypsy and Olivia.
Both "Looking for Lola" and "The Branwell Snitbook" may be purchased from Amazon.com.