by Mary Oliver
First published 2016
Mary Oliver gathers her thoughts on the natural world and the writer's craft in this collection of essays. She examines what draws her to artistic work and how the forest provides refuge and peace. Oliver writes about the joy she finds in watching birds take flight and shares the quiet insights that emerge from careful observation. Her boundless wonder drives her to contemplate subjects ranging from spiders to blue fin tuna to Ralph Waldo Emerson. Some pieces appear in print for the first time in this volume. Oliver reveals herself as a dedicated observer who finds meaning in small moments. The book demonstrates how sustained attention to the world around us can spark amazement and reverence for life's overlooked details.
Genres: nature, essays, non-fiction, 21st-century
Vibes: intimate, lyrical, thought-provoking
Tropes: nature-as-refuge, wonder-and-reverence
Period: 21st-Century
178 pages · Hardcover · Penguin Press