Emily, what a gorgeous profile of Mary Oliver. Like many, I adore her, and I learned many new things here, including reading the poem "Singapore" for the first time. Thank you for this lovely exploration of such a beloved poet!
Agree! This was such a rich and multi-faceted introduction. "Singapore" was new to me too! So good. I loved getting a peek into the class discussions and Emily's class paper. (Makes me miss school!).
And I especially loved the personal moments--the tidbit about the birthday cake, and the moment that Emily is standing in the hall with the laundry basket and Oliver ushers her over the threshold from "not avid poetry reader" to "poetry lover."
Also, "stab of softness" might be my new favorite turn of phrase for how the right poem at the right time can really land.
Thanks Larry. It was a lot of fun to write about Mary Oliver. It gave me a chance to explore her background, re-listen to her podcast interview and revisit the times I've studied her work during my education. Her poetry always has such an impact on me, so this was a great opportunity.
This was a great reminder to get some poetry in my brain after swimming in the deluge called social media. Love this!
Never heard of Mary Oliver before but loved the excerpt for Wild Geese. Felt a similar tension leave me. Wonder if a lot of tension comes from unresolved guilt
Thank you Emily. I needed a reminder of these qualities that Mary Oliver embodied. The dedication to the craft, not necessarily of writing, but of finding the immensity of joy and truth contained in the smallest corners of observation. "how looking deeply into any moment can yield the sense of connectedness and belonging that we long for." I am a whole-hearted fan of this, of Mary Oliver, and your celebration of her work.
Emily, what a gorgeous profile of Mary Oliver. Like many, I adore her, and I learned many new things here, including reading the poem "Singapore" for the first time. Thank you for this lovely exploration of such a beloved poet!
Agree! This was such a rich and multi-faceted introduction. "Singapore" was new to me too! So good. I loved getting a peek into the class discussions and Emily's class paper. (Makes me miss school!).
And I especially loved the personal moments--the tidbit about the birthday cake, and the moment that Emily is standing in the hall with the laundry basket and Oliver ushers her over the threshold from "not avid poetry reader" to "poetry lover."
Also, "stab of softness" might be my new favorite turn of phrase for how the right poem at the right time can really land.
Thank you, Emily!
Thank you for the opportunity Brianne. A wonderful excuse to explore.
You unpack Mary Oliver's work so elegantly, with a ton of backing references. Well done!
Thanks Larry. It was a lot of fun to write about Mary Oliver. It gave me a chance to explore her background, re-listen to her podcast interview and revisit the times I've studied her work during my education. Her poetry always has such an impact on me, so this was a great opportunity.
This was a great reminder to get some poetry in my brain after swimming in the deluge called social media. Love this!
Never heard of Mary Oliver before but loved the excerpt for Wild Geese. Felt a similar tension leave me. Wonder if a lot of tension comes from unresolved guilt
Thank you Emily. I needed a reminder of these qualities that Mary Oliver embodied. The dedication to the craft, not necessarily of writing, but of finding the immensity of joy and truth contained in the smallest corners of observation. "how looking deeply into any moment can yield the sense of connectedness and belonging that we long for." I am a whole-hearted fan of this, of Mary Oliver, and your celebration of her work.