Born in a small town in Ohio, Mary Oliver published her first book of poetry in 1963 at the age of 28. Over the course of her long career, she received numerous awards. Her fourth book, American Primitive, won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1984. She led workshops and held residencies at various colleges and universities, including Bennington College, where she held the Catharine Osgood Foster Chair for Distinguished Teaching. She died in 2019.
“In Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver (Penguin),
one of our most beloved writers offers both the best of her work
and a spiritual road map of sorts. Spanning more than 50 years and
featuring more than 200 poems, the collection shows Oliver, in the
early years, turning away from grief and finding in nature a 'vast,
incredible gift.' Over time, as she carefully observes and records,
Oliver extols the beauty and complexity around her and reminds us
of the interconnectedness of living. She also asks important
questions, such as 'have you ever dared to be happy/ . . . have you
ever dared to pray,' and 'Tell me, what it is you plan to do/ with
your one wild and precious life?' Those lines resonate as much
today as when she first penned them decades ago. No matter where
one starts reading, Devotions offers much to love, from
Oliver's exuberant dog poems to selections from the Pulitzer
Prize-winning American Primitive, and Dream Work, one of her
exceptional collections. Perhaps more important, the luminous
writing provides respite from our crazy world and demonstrates how
mindfulness can define and transform a life, moment by moment, poem
by poem.” —The Washington Post
“It’s as if the poet herself has sidled beside the reader and
pointed us to the poems she considers most worthy of deep
consideration.” —Chicago Tribune
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