Long Life: Essays and Other Writings

With the grace and precision that are the hallmarks of her work, Oliver shows us how writing 'is a way of offering praise to the world' and suggests we see her poems as 'little alleluias'. Whether describing a goosefish stranded at low tide, the feeling of being baptized by the mist from a whale's blowhole, or the 'connection between soul and landscape', Oliver invites readers to find themselves and their experiences at the center of her world. In Long Lifeshe also speaks of poets and writers: Wordsworth's 'whirlwind' of 'beauty and strangeness'; Hawthorne's 'sweet-tempered' side; and Emerson's belief that 'a man's inclination, once awakened to it, would be to turn all the heavy sails of his life to a moral purpose'.

With consummate craftsmanship, Mary Oliver has created a breathtaking volume sure to add to her reputation as 'one of our very best poets' (New York Times Book Review).