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bentohbox's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
5.0
each of these collections is a lovely peak into the minds and desires of its curator, and the 2009 version is no exception. you can tell that this, at its core, is Mary Oliver-coded as fuck and I greatly appreciate the labor she did to gather these essays. I wasn't originally sold on this being a good collection, to be honest -- there were some inclusions that I found confusing.
however I think, in reflection, that the pure variety of styles, perspectives, and topics that all triangulate a definition of Oliver *and* each individual writer cannot be understated. there is something in this collection for everyone, so long as you take your time and really sit with the words and stories. Oliver has always been an introspective, patient, and slow-paced writer, and she forces the reader to conform to her steps if they are to gain anything from her curation. there's nature, grief, reflection, justice, and struggle in these pages, and they all speak to a world that's losing its grip on languidity in the face of maximalization.
this entire book is a reminder that to move slowly in the world is to see it in new lights.
however I think, in reflection, that the pure variety of styles, perspectives, and topics that all triangulate a definition of Oliver *and* each individual writer cannot be understated. there is something in this collection for everyone, so long as you take your time and really sit with the words and stories. Oliver has always been an introspective, patient, and slow-paced writer, and she forces the reader to conform to her steps if they are to gain anything from her curation. there's nature, grief, reflection, justice, and struggle in these pages, and they all speak to a world that's losing its grip on languidity in the face of maximalization.
this entire book is a reminder that to move slowly in the world is to see it in new lights.
balletbookworm's review
5.0
If all the other volumes in this series are as good as the two I just read (Science and Nature 2009 and Essays 2009), then I am missing some fantastic writing each year.
Gah! How will I read it all???
But I digress. The best essay in this collection is "The God of the Desert" by Richard Rodriguez; a very evocative meditation on touring the religious sites (Christian, Jewish, and Muslim) of the Holy Land.
Gah! How will I read it all???
But I digress. The best essay in this collection is "The God of the Desert" by Richard Rodriguez; a very evocative meditation on touring the religious sites (Christian, Jewish, and Muslim) of the Holy Land.
carriepond's review
3.0
There were about a handful of essays that were either difficult to get through or just didn't interest. Those I particularly enjoyed were "Faustian Economics" by Wendell Berry, Brian Doyle's "The Greatest Nature Essay Ever," "Madre de Dios" by Barry Lopez, Jill McCorkle's "Cuss Time," "Dog Is Our Copilot" by Kathryn Miles, "Return to Hayneville" by Gregory Orr, "Shipwrecked" by Janna Malamud Smith, and "First" by Ryan Van Meter. There were a few others I enjoyed as well, but those were my favorites.
rbrtsorrell's review
3.0
John Berger's "Portrait of a Masked Man," Amy Leach's "You be the Moon," Jill McCorkle's "Cuss Time," Kathryn Miles's "Dog Is Our Copilot," and Gregory Orr's "Return to Hayneville," were in my opinion the best of the bunch. For a best of edition, there were a fair amount of nature/science essays, and I wasn't super floored by any of them. But nonetheless, still a worthwhile read.
evastrange's review
4.0
A collection of this kind is naturally always a mixed bag. If you share Mary Oliver's interests (as I do), you'll likely find much in here to like and enjoy and nod along with, and won't gel as much with the pieces she likely included for neutrality's sake. I found several authors that were previously unknown to me and whose works I've put on my to-read shelf, and what more can you ask for?
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