Author guide

Mary Oliver Books in Order

Mary Oliver was an American poet and essayist whose work joined close observation of nature with spiritual and existential inquiry. She won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for American Primitive and the National Book Award for New and Selected Poems, Volume One, and published books of poetry, prose, essays, and mixed-genre writing.

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New and Selected Poems, Volume One

A substantial, award-winning overview of Oliver’s poetry, combining new poems with selections from her early career.

Upstream: Selected Essays

A concise introduction to Oliver’s prose, literary influences, and reflections on nature and writing.

Read in order

Books by series

book-series · complete

New and Selected Poems

Two career-spanning volumes combining selected earlier poems with substantial new work.

Series guide →

1

New and Selected Poems, Volume One
Book 1 · poetry · 1992

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2

New and Selected Poems, Volume Two
Book 2 · poetry · 2005

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Outside the series

Bibliography by category

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Novels (2)

A Poetry Handbook
nonfiction · 1994

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Rules for the Dance: A Handbook for Writing and Reading Metrical Verse
nonfiction · 1998

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Essays and speeches (5)

Owls and Other Fantasies: Poems and Essays
poetry-and-essays · 2003

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Blue Iris: Poems and Essays
poetry-and-essays · 2004

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Long Life: Essays and Other Writings
essays · 2004

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The Truro Bear and Other Adventures: Poems and Essays
poetry-and-essays · 2008

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Upstream: Selected Essays
essays · 2016

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