Born in a small town in Ohio, Mary Oliver published her first book of poetry in 1963 at the age of twenty-three. Over the course of her long career, she received numerous awards. Her fourth book, American Primitive, won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1984. She led workshops and held residencies at various colleges and universities, including Hennington College, where she held the Catharine Osgood Foster Chair for Distinguished Teaching. Mary Oliver died in January 2019.
Dog Songs . . . is a sweet golden retriever of a book that curls up with the reader - New York Times Oliver . . . is one of our most adored poets, and a longtime lover of dogs. The popularity of [Dog Songs] feels as inevitable and welcome as a wagging tail upon homecoming - Boston Globe Mary Oliver is a canine lover par excellence. Her combo of woman's best friend and poetry is utterly irresistible - Oprah.com Mary Oliver's Dog Songs is, plainly put, a lovely and accessible book of poems - The Rumpus