If poetry had a pop icon, Mary Oliver would be it. Celebrated best-selling poet, Pulitzer Prize-winner, lover of dogs and long walks in the woods, openly queer but intensely private, Oliver was America’s unlikely contemporary mystic, stalking the ponds and forests of Cape Cod for nearly 50 years in order to open herself — and her readers — to the known and unknowable world. From a lonely childhood to literary fame, Oliver’s life was shaped by devotion to nature, paying attention, and the long journey toward learning to love and to be loved. Her poems inspire liberals and conservatives, atheists and believers, naturalists and urbanites, speaking directly to contemporary anxieties about attention, presence and the human relationship with the natural world — issues that feel especially pressing in an era of climate crisis, digital distraction, and social fragmentation.
Featuring interviews with her close friends (including John Waters), never-before-seen personal photos, notebooks, and correspondence from her archive — and recitations of her work by Stephen Colbert, Lucy Dacus, Steve Buscemi, and Oprah Winfrey — MARY OLIVER: SAVED BY THE BEAUTY OF THE WORLD considers the poet’s long lifetime of work in context, capturing the uniqueness of her world and the natural beauty that inspired her.
“Puts due emphasis on Oliver’s writing, in all its elegant and empathetic simplicity…. Makes an affecting case for her work and gives us a vivid look at her world.” —Zachary Barnes, Wall Street Journal “A rare, intimate look at the famously private poet…. A quiet immersion into a life shaped by attention, solitude and the natural world.” —Leslie Bateman, Inside Of Knoxville “I am moved by its soft nature that mirrors Oliver’s practice and mind.” —Cortlyn Kelly, rogerebert.com
