It Is a Serious Thing Just to be Alive
Deep Dives
Explore related topics with these Wikipedia articles, rewritten for enjoyable reading:
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Mary Oliver
13 min read
The article is a tribute to Mary Oliver on the seventh anniversary of her death. Readers would benefit from a deeper understanding of her life, Pulitzer Prize-winning career, her relationship with Molly Malone Cook, and her influence on American poetry.
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Matsuo Bashō
16 min read
The author quotes Bashō as one of their poet heroes and likely one of Mary Oliver's influences. Understanding this 17th-century Japanese master of haiku and his philosophy of living poetry would enrich the reader's appreciation of Oliver's approach to nature writing.
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Métis
11 min read
The author identifies as Métis and opens with Ojibwe greetings (Boozhoo, Aaniin). Understanding the distinct Indigenous people of mixed European and First Nations ancestry in Canada and the northern US provides essential context for the author's identity and perspective.
Boozhoo, indinawemaaganidog! Aaniin! That is to say hello, all of my relatives! Welcome to another edition of An Irritable Métis. I’m in the middle of working on something else more timely given the general mayhem of our current situation but, given the importance I think in recognizing a day like today, I trust you’ll indulge me on honoring today first, even as it draws to a close….
This past September the 25th I woke up early in a Fargo, ND, hotel near the airport. I went out for some coffee and then took a short walk along the banks of the mighty Red River of the North. The trees were beginning to turn from mostly green to a multitude of other colors and the morning light was beautiful. I didn’t have much time to linger as I had a long drive in front of me: I was headed to Spearfish for the South Dakota Book Festival, roughly eight hours away. For a big hunk of the drive I listened to Wild and Precious: A Celebration of Mary Oliver, an audio-only book that had crossed my radar only a day or two before. From the description:
***WINNER OF THE 2024 AUDIE AWARD FOR SHORT STORIES/COLLECTION***
Wild and Precious: A Celebration of Mary Oliver is a first of its kind audio commemoration of one of the greatest poets in modern history. Actress and activist Sophia Bush guides listeners on a journey of contemplation and discovery into the artistry of Mary Oliver as remembered by many who were most greatly impacted by it. For the first time, Oliver’s Bennington College students open up about what it was like to have her for a teacher, friends and neighbors recall her love of place and nature, multi-faith leaders contemplate her spiritual lessons, and high-profile artists and fans like Carmen Maria Machado, Ross Gay, and Rainn Wilson, among others, reflect on the profound influence of her poetry on their own work and lives.
The half-a-day I spent listening to that audio book, which included not just friends and fans and former students talking about Mary and reading her poems, but also Mary herself reading, comprised one of the best and most thoughtful
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