Owls and Other Fantasies - by Mary Oliver (Paperback)

About the Book

In this elegantly designed volume, Oliver collects 23 of her poems about the birds that have been such an important part of her life--hawks, hummingbirds, kingfishers, swans, and, of course, the snowy owl.

Book Synopsis

A perfect introduction to Mary Oliver's poetry, this stunning collection features 26 nature poems and prose writings about the birds that played such an important role in the Pulitzer Prize winner's life.

Within these pages you will find hawks, hummingbirds, and herons; kingfishers, catbirds, and crows; swans, swallows and, of course, the snowy owl, among a dozen others-including ten poems that have never before been collected. She adds two beautifully crafted essays, "Owls," selected for the Best American Essays series, and "Bird," a new essay that will surely take its place among the classics of the genre.

In the words of the poet Stanley Kunitz, "Mary Oliver's poetry is fine and deep; it reads like a blessing. Her special gift is to connect us with our sources in the natural world, its beauties and terrors and mysteries and consolations."

For anyone who values poetry and essays, for anyone who cares about birds, Owls and Other Fantasies will be a treasured gift; for those who love both, it will be essential reading.

This book was published with two different covers. Customers will be shipped the book with one of the available covers.

Review Quotes

"Mary Oliver is beautiful and accurate in this book of poetry and prose about birds . . . all rendered with the precision of a line-drawing of a single feather that puts the entire wing into perspective."
--Orion

"What we have here are moral essays in prose and verse, passionate meditations on the conduct of life. You will be the wiser--as I believe I am--for having read them."
--Frank Wilson, Philadelphia Inquirer

"These poems and essays dazzle us and then send us into deep reflection about the marvels and mysteries of life that come to us in the sightings, songs, and soaring of birds."
--Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Health

"Owls and Other Fantasies will bring much pleasure to the many readers who claim Oliver as their favorite poet, as well as to people new to her work."
--Judy Clarence, Booklist

"[Owls and Other Fantasies] will bring much pleasure to the many readers who claim Oliver as their favorite poet, as well as to people new to her work.:
--Library Journal

About the Author

Mary Oliver (1935-2019), winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry, is one of the most celebrated and best-selling poets in America. She wrote over 30 volumes of poetry and prose, including Blue Iris, Owls and Other Fantasies, Why I Wake Early, two volumes of New and Selected Poems, and Devotions, as well as two essay collections, Long Life and Upstream.