I’ve been working on this poster in fits and starts for a while. Like so much of what Mary Oliver shares, I thought it to be a good thing to slow down with these words. Here’s an extended passage from Long Life, the beautiful build up to the world’s big question:
Poets must read and study, but also they must learn to tilt and whisper, shout, or dance, each in his or her own way, or we might just as well copy the old books. But, no, that would never do, for always the new self swimming around in the old world feels itself uniquely verbal. And that is just the point: how the world, moist and bountiful, calls to each of us to make a new and serious response. That’s the big question, the one the world throws at you every morning. “Here you are, alive. Would you like to make a comment?”
Mary Oliver from Long Life
What a lovely invitation, don’t you think? And one that only you can answer…and me…and everyone else…but only we can take our lives, our perspective, our utterly unique self and craft some kind of creative contribution, some kind of responce… be it poetry or painting or motherhood or engineering or gardening or whatever.
I have a couple more lines of Ms. Oliver’s I’d like to interpret, at which time I’ll print some posters and make a little package for her. In the mean time, we’re facebook friends via her agent. Do you think she’s the type to google herself and scour through all the webpages about her until she finds my blog? I think probably not. I’m pretty confident the surprise is safe.
I absolutely love it. Cheers to Hatchetts and Olivers and the rest of the newness!
i want a copy of this poster!!!!
Interesting. But you know how I feel about the word “moist.”
Thank you for the kind words! And Amanda, I think we can work that one out!
hehe, of course I know how you feel about that word, Becca….this is why I cannot read it in any context and refrain from thinking about you!
ahh, lovely. oh… and challenging and convicting and inspiring.
You have a beautifully designed site — which shouldn’t be surprising, what with you being a designer and all. I clicked through from Brigitte Lyons’s site. In addition to loving the aesthetic immediately, several things jumped out at me:
1. This post was made on my birthday (June 14th)!
2. Nava Lubelski was a college friend of mine! (We still have good friends in common but I haven’t seen her 20 years.)
3. My wife also blogged about the Penguin Books “Great Food” series!
So, I figured it would be okay if a left a little comment to thank you for bringing a smile to my evening. Happy blogging!
Happy late birthday, Christopher! Thanks so much for stopping by and saying hello. What fun connections. Now I’m off to take a look at your site!
e,
I have fallen head over heels for Mary Oliver in the past few months. Her words are so simple and transcendent… and of course her love affair with the Big Book (nature) also feeds the soul… whenever i read her i’m reminded that nature is alive and fully amped on the Divine.
I love all your work but this one especially spoke to me…
kevin