New York Times calls Mary Oliver “far and away, this country’s best-selling poet,” undoubtedly because of her impressive collection of works and accompanying awards for her poetry. Oliver attended both Ohio State University and Vassar College but did not earn a degree. Currently, she holds Honorary Doctorates from The Art Institute of Boston, Dartmouth College, and Tufts University. Her collection of poetry, American Primitive (1983), won the Pulitzer Prize. Oliver has taught many workshops and residencies in universities such as Case Western Reserve, Bucknell, University of Cincinnati, and Sweet Briar College.
Her first collection of poems, No Voyage and Other Poems, was published in 1963. Since then, she has published numerous books, including: Thirst (2006); Why I Wake Early (2004); Owls and Other Fantasies: Poems and Essays (2003); Winter Hours: Prose, Prose Poems, and Poems (1999); West Wind (1997); White Pine (1994); New and Selected Poems (1992), which won the National Book Award; and House of Light (1990), which won the Christopher Award and the L. L. Winship/PEN New England Award.
The first part of her book-length poem, “The Leaf and the Cloud” (2000), was selected for inclusion in The Best American Poetry 1999. The second part, “Work,” was selected for The Best American Poetry 2000. Her other books include Long Life: Essays and Other Writings (2004), Rules for the Dance: A Handbook for Writing and Reading Metrical Verse (1998), Blue Pastures (1995), and A Poetry Handbook (1994).
Her poem “The Kookaburras” was featured in Issue 1-Spring 1989 in addition to a review of her book Thirst featured in
Issue 19.2-Summer/Fall 2007.
