There is a new documentary about the late Mary Oliver, poet of earth and sky and water. Oliver won the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award along with many other awards and accolades. Of course, there was a consequence for her acclaim and popularity. There is a certain group that seems to feel that popular and accessible poetry can't be good poetry.
We have appreciated Oliver, now gone to her eternal reward, because of the earthy spirituality expressed often in her work. Mary left organized religion at some early stage, then returned to it later in life as an Episcopalian -- that's American for Anglican. But it was her profound sense of God as Creator, more often implicit than explicit -- that appealed to so many regardless of their sensibilities.
Oliver expressed what our early church forbearers including St. Augustine and St. Benedict, along with many others maintained. There are two books of revelation, Creation and Scripture, and both are vital to our faith.
A few years ago an Episcopal congregation in the States offered a Sunday "Poetry in Lent" series featuring Oliverm preceded by a worship service with the title Mass on the Epiphany in Creation: A Eucharist Drawing on the Poetry of May Oliver. Very creative.
I have, as well, a book that's 20-plus years old now called God of Dirt: Mary Oliver and the Other Book of God, drawing on the name of one of her poems. Maybe a study series would be timely. The documentary will be aired on PBS in August and I'm looking forward to it. I'm hoping that it doesn't coincide with our time in Newfoundland where the the title could be God of Rock and Sea.
Here is the link to the trailer for the doc and her New York Times obituary from 2019:
https://app.doclands.com/film/mary-oliver-saved-by-the-beauty-of-the-world
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/17/obituaries/mary-oliver-dead.html
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