Upstream: Selected Essays

We first read Mary Oliver when we visited USA. Her poetry is naturalistic and real, and it appeals to our Icelandic sensibilities . This collection is wonderful. I have read it in its entirety, and her prose is as luminous as always. I have enjoyed reading her essays, including the one on Whitman. She is in a class of her own, and she marches to her own, natural rhythm . In this world, we need her more than ever. She reminds us why nature is so close to our souls.

Would give it 10 stars if I could. Mary Oliver is a revelation and anything she writes is worth reading, studying and thinking about. I've been reading her poetry for years, and she is lined up with the greats, the everlasting, the Whitmans, Dickinsons, Thoreaus, she leap frogs over categories,transcends literary compartments, a pragmatic romantic or romantic pragmatist? No labels fit, she is Mary Oliver - how fortunate we are that she was born into our time so that we could follow her path and thereby find our own with so much less trouble.

Insightful and elegant. Poetry in prose. Oliver's observations of the natural world are breathtaking and sometimes heartbreaking. A book that is also a meditation. Profound is the word that comes to mind, written with no pretension. Honest and beautiful. Highly recommend.

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.

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."

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, poet sublime, shares intimate observations, musings, and philosophies in this brief and luminous book of essays on art, ecology and what it is to be alive in the world.From the essay, Winter Hours—“I would say that there exist a thousand unbreakable links between each of us and everything else, and that our dignity and our chances are one.”From the essay, Owls—“the snow falls slowly and aimlessly, and the whole world smells like water in an iron cup.”Her prose, like her poetry, is quiet, filled with respect, and the kind of wonder that leaves a soaring ache.

Excellent - more of Mary Oliver.

Breathtaking. I have long been a fan of Mary Oliver's poetry, and wasn't sure whether I would love these essays as much. Turns out they are just as great as her poems. Actually, if anything, some parts are even better.The 'essays' focus on different topics, but all of them fit together to create a central vision. The book overall is an invitation to live a fully, deeper, more connected life. I could not praise this collection of essays enough. If you enjoy Mary Oliver's poetry, you will love this.

Having spent some time studying Oliver's "Devotions", a collection of her poems chosen by herself, I was curious to read more about her outlook on life as reflected in these auto biographical essays. They are beautifully written accounts of her life journey "Upstream ", i.e. against the current,complementing her poetry of awe and wonder at the beauty and mystery of of the natural world and how we are no longer in tune with it. I would certainly recommend this book to anyone seeking to hear more of this poet's authentic voice.

I'm reading these essays over and over again. They're manna to the mind, a balm to the soul, and lyrically, deeply satisfying. Each essay is nourishing and communicate Oliver's deep love and respect for the natural world. One of the essays, 'Bird' I've read about four times, and read aloud to my ten year old son, who was captivated by it. That's what I love most: her writing is so accessible and incredibly brilliant.

Nice hardcover (paper is somewhat thin and newspaper ish). Enjoy Mary Oliver’s poetry immensely.

Interesting, inspiring, comforting

She will always be my favourite

How charming this book is. Probably one of the most beautiful books I've read!

More biographical than expected but a real treat nonetheless.

It's Mary Oliver - what's not to love? Beautiful and comforting.

I loved this the best book I read all summer. Quite inspirational and very touching.

Following a minor surgery, my doctor prescribed three days of bed rest. He should have also given me a prescription for Upstream for the reading brought more medicine than the resting .

Un libro muy bien escrito, con un estilo poético y relajante que se disfruta y que te desconecta del estrés diario.

As always Mary Oliver opens a door into myself and I can wander freely in the poetry and memories of my owngrowing up on the land surrounded by the natural world, my beloved, in more innocent times. Thank you Mary.

Le opere di Mary Oliver sono una garanzia. Bellissime, profonde e commoventi. Libro consigliatissimo a tutti, a patto che venga letto in lingua originale.

This was a birthday gift and the recipient keeps talking about it. They really love it.