The poet Mary Oliver once wrote, “How can the biographer know when enough is known, and known with sufficient certainty? What about secrets, what about errors, what about small black holes where there is nothing at all?…And what about the waywardness of life itself—the proclivity toward randomness—the sudden meaningless uplift of wind that tosses out one sheet of paper and keeps another?…I would not be a biographer for all the tea in China.”
You can find these words, and many beautiful others, in her essay titled, “Steepletop.” Steepletop is a farmstead in New York State, and was once the home of another poet, Edna St. Vincent Millay. As a young woman, Mary Oliver lived at Steepletop, organizing the late Millay’s papers. And when Millay’s sister asked Mary Oliver to write the poet’s biography, she declined for the reasons she later described above.
More than half a century later, I found myself wondering, is there a biography for children about Mary Oliver? And then, shouldn’t there be? And finally, if there isn’t one, should I write it myself? The answers were no, yes, maybe—and suddenly we are four days away from the publication of Woods & Words: The Story of Poet Mary Oliver, written by me, illustrated by the inimitable Naoko Stoop.
Mary Oliver was known for being private. She gave few interviews, has no biography published of her life (though she did select a biographer before her death), and her papers only made it to the Library of Congress after my book went to print. Mary Oliver was big on wondering, but I needed a more concrete foundation in order to write a biography, especially a biography of someone so deeply loved by so many.
What I wanted children to most understand about Mary Oliver is that she wrote about birds, and insects, and ponds. She wrote about what she noticed and was curious about. She wrote about the things that she found beautiful, even if those things weren’t serious or fancy or complicated, like many thought poetry was supposed to be. But how to find “sufficient certainty,” and enough of it spin a true story for children?
Here are eight places I searched.
- Everything Mary Oliver ever published. Every book of essays. Every volume of poetry I could find at the bookstore and the out of print ones I could only read under the watchful eyes of reference librarians.
- Census records.
- The historical society of her birthplace.
- Hometown newspapers, full of hidden gems.
- Reviews of her work. Even the mean ones. Especially the mean ones.
- The alumni organizations of schools she attended—great sources of photos and newspaper clippings.
- The accounts of those who knew her. Her partner was a well-known photographer. Her editors spoke about her in talks and panels. One person led to another. Doesn’t it always?
And a bonus #8! Illustrators bring their own research to a project and Naoko Stoop is a brilliant researcher. In one instance she found a documentary that conflicted with a piece of text I had cited. I told Naoko what I knew and what I thought and she made decisions about how to handle the art while knowing about this contradiction. Is this the randomness Mary Oliver wrote about?
Mary Oliver is best known for her poems “The Summer Day” and “Wild Geese,” but my favorite is “Moles” from the collection American Primitive. “Moles” is a delightful tribute to the those odd, underground critters,
pushing and shoving
with their stubborn muzzles against
the whole earth,
finding it
delicious.
Enter to win a copy of WOODS & WORDS: THE STORY OF POET MARY OLIVER by commenting on this post. Extra entry for anyone who shares their favorite Mary Oliver poem (because I am nosy). US mailing addresses only, please.
Elegantly done. You ought to be so proud of yourself. I intend to get a copy of this book to share with my grandchildren. They will love it.
Oh what a beautiful book. And April is poetry month!
My favorite poem is Hummingbirds
“and to fly, for the first time
in their sea-green helmets”
I love this. Thank you
I have to get a copy of this book! She wrote about all the same things I love to wonder about and write about! Fascinating! Congratulations! The book looks gorgeous!
This is lovely…thanks for sharing!
Any season would be perfect for a Mary Oliver picture book but Spring seems especiall fitting! – Invitation is one of my favorites – Oh do you have time
to linger
for just a little while
out of your busy
and very important day
for the goldfinches
that have gathered
in a field of thistles ….
The cover is beautiful to show a young girl with a tree full of creatures. Congratulations!!
This is timely as I begin my own biography research-I appreciate reading your perspective and focus on Mary Oliver! One of my favorite poems is WHEN I AM AMONG THE TREES.
“Around me the trees stir in their leaves
and call out, “Stay awhile.”
The light flows from their branches.
And they call again, “It’s simple,” they say,
“and you too have come
into the world to do this, to go easy, to be filled
with light, and to shine.”
After reading Mary Oliver’s quote, it must have taken a lot of courage to consider writing her biography! Congrats on what looks like a beautiful book.
Oops.. I forgot to name a favorite poem. Because my dog is getting on in years “For I Will Consider My Dog Percy” speaks to me.
It was fascinating to learn more about Mary Oliver.
What a gorgeous book!
Congratulations!
Thanks for shedding light on her life so it can inspire kids.
I’m so glad you took up this challenge and I can’t wait to dive into the book! It looks absolutely beautiful Congratulations!
Thanks for sharing this post
This looks lovely! It also reminds me that I am not as well-read as I probably should be. I’ll be making my way to a bookstore soon!
Mary Oliver’s poems sound amazing. And the illustrations are gorgeous!
This book looks gorgeous. I can not wait to read it. Congratulations, Sara!
Sarah Holly Ackerman, you’ve got gutts. This would be a tough one, and a fascinating one, too — and I can’t wait to read it. I don’t know that this one’s my favorite, but it’s on my mind:
At Blackwater Pond
At Blackwater Pond the tossed waters have settled
after a night of rain.
I dip my cupped hands. I drink
a long time. It tastes
like stone, leaves, fire. It falls cold
into my body, waking the bones. I hear them
deep inside me, whispering
oh what is that beautiful thing
that just happened?
Big congratulations!
Oh, I’ve been waiting waiting waiting for this one, Sara! Ordering this beauty right now.
The language and images in your book sounds and looks gorgeous!
I love May Oliver’s poem “The Journey” :
One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began,
though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice—
though the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
at your ankles.
“Mend my life!”
each voice cried.
But you didn’t stop.
You knew what you had to do,
though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers
at the very foundations,
though their melancholy
was terrible.
It was already late
enough, and a wild night,
and the road full of fallen
branches and stones.
But little by little,
as you left their voices behind,
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice
which you slowly
recognized as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world,
determined to do
the only thing you could do—
determined to save
the only life you could save.
I’m intrigued to learn more about Mary Oliver! Congratulations and thank you for your post.
So glad you wrote this! I love Mary Oliver’s poems, but can’t decide on a favorite. She will now be in my head all day.
So looking forward to this, Sara! I have so many favorites it’s hard to choose, but one which never seizes to amaze me is “Freshen the Flowers, She Said.” That last line is so beautiful – “Fifteen minutes of music with nothing playing.” Thank you!
What a beautiful collaboration! I cannot wait to read it and learn more.
My favorite poem of Mary Oliver’s many is When I Am Among the Trees because when I take hikes through the woods, I feel calm and full of wonder and never feel the need to connect with the rest of the world, only to be right in the present. I can’t wait to read this book and learn about Mary Oliver.
Hello Sara, I’m so glad that you created a book that you wanted to read! I love stories about female poets and this book sounds like a perfect addition to any classroom library!
Beautiful.
The work of both Edna St. Vincent Millay and Mary Oliver is poignant and meaningful. I’m excited for your book to come out, Sara! Thanks for sharing a bit about your process for bringing it to life, with Naoko Stoop.
What an awesome book 🙂
What an awesome book, congrats