Upstream: Selected Essays

Beautifully written, we are invited to walk with Mary Oliver through her beloved landscapes - and as we do, these landscapes become our own, and our eyes and hearts open more to our own surroundings and the beauty in it, large and small. Also filled with specific writing moments to be inspired by - I just had to include this in my library and already think of it as a dear beloved friend, a fellow traveller on this journey that is life.

From her reflections on walks in the woods to incredible illuminations of her favorite authors, Oliver's collected essays of Upstream offer a writing for everyone. "The best use of literature bends not toward the narrow and the absolute," she says, "But to the extravagant and the possible. Answers are no part of it; rather, it is the opinions, the rhapsodic persuasions, the engrafted logics, the clues that are to the mind of the reader the possible keys to his own self-quarrels, his own predicament" (69). A poetic description of reading if ever I've read one. She continues in the same paragraph, of Emerson: "The one thing he is adamant about is that we should look [at things for ourselves]--we must look--for that is the liquor of life, that brooding upon issues, that attention to thought even as we weed the garden or milk the cow" (69). Observations like the one above abound in Oliver's work, and I would put her nature reflections on par with Emerson or Thoreau, though not as earth-shattering (pun intended) as their writings were for their time. As she says in her writing "Let me be who I am, and then some," she certainly offers who she is, and then some. I, as her reader, am thankful for the experience. Extra note: She once built a small house in her back yard for $3.58 using scrap lumber and found materials. I find this incredibly inspiring.

A beautiful collection of Mary Oliver's essays, that can be read in just a few hours, or savored slowly over a period of weeks. The writing of course is beautiful, the descriptions riveting. One feels a kind heart and a tormented soul jockeying for position in almost all the essays. Nature a boon, but the understanding of it as also indifferent to individual lives...the classic terrain of the poet. A lovely gift for anyone who reads and enjoys poetry, or for someone who might one day...This book should inspire.

What a gem of a book! I love Mary Oliver's poems. I enjoy several of the poets she discusses in this book. And What a gem of a book! I love Mary Oliver's poems. I enjoy several of the poets she discusses in this book. And these essays are just treasures! My favorite ones are about the birds, her dog Sammy, the bear... There's a theme here. Favorite quote: "for me the door to the woods is the door to the temple". Spot on Mary Oliver, spot on! ! My favorite ones are about the birds, her dog Sammy, the bear... There's a theme here. Favorite quote: "for me the door to the woods is the door to the temple". Spot on Mary Oliver, spot on!

Mary Oliver knew never has forgotten who she is and as importantly, what she is. Barry Lopez suggests, as humans, we are inescapably biological. Mary has always known that and has the unique ability to convey the beauty and importance of that truth of who we all are in this world. These are described as essays. The words here to me are as pure as her poetry. Mary Oliver remained uncompromising in her belief in where she came from and where she belonged. I am so grateful she was so skilled at sharing this with us for so many years.

Mary Oliver. One of my all time favorite poets had me doubting her in her newest book "Upstream." Until...Section Three - then WHAM! wake up Jenny Bates! you doubting Thomas! It was like I was sleepwalking through Sections One & Two. Of course, Section Three begins with essays about Emerson, Poe, Whitman - take notice! These essays are brilliant and it doesn't stop there. Section Four is as poignant and elegant as any poem by Oliver. So I add this small segment from Section Four to 'things I wish I had written'...my humility back in its place for the time being. "Dear Bear, it's no use, the world is like that. So stay where you are, and live long. Someday maybe we'll wise up and remember what you were: hopeless ambassador of a world that returns now only in poet's dreams."

If you've ever read a Mary Oliver poem, you likely know what to expect from her late-life prose, and you will want this book in your home. If you're by some chance unfamiliar with her spirit-lifting poetry, order this book, Google a few of her poems, and then drum your fingers and check your mailbox until 'Upstream' arrives. Chances are, you'll be after her powtry collections next...

The book is great I have enjoyed reading it! But the copy is faulty as it is not cut correctly and doesn't look right

Es un respiro encontrar libros escritos con sensibilidad poetica y delicadeza sobre temas en los que uno no repara y pasan desapercibidos. No para quien se siente un integrante mas de la naturaleza vegetal, animal o simplemente cósmica, entablando interacciones afectivas y empaticas con pajaros, perros o vecinos de su comunidad.

I seriously love this book and keep coming back to it. Upstream is a quiet yet profound book, one that invites readers to slow down and appreciate the beauty in both language and landscape. It is a collection that will resonate with nature lovers, writers, and anyone who cherishes the simple yet profound act of paying attention.

I absolutely loved this book. It felt like Oliver was speaking directly to my soul with her beautiful words. She may be known for her poetry but I think it's her essays that are the true works of art.

Mary oliver zaten muazzam. Baskısı penguin'e yakışır bir baskı olmuş. Her şeyi beklediğim gibi