Book Review -- "Upstream"

     I just wanted to start out the post today by stating that I am sorry that I was not able to post the poem to the blog as I said I would.  Yesterday was a very bad day.  My neighbor's house caught on fire, which was bad enough, but then all of the water from the fire hoses and trucks started to run down towards my garage.  I had to dig a drainage channel to divert the water.  Also, I've been very sick the last few days.  I went to the doctor today, and I have a lung infection.  Please pray that I will be able to feel better soon.
     With that said, the book that I am review today is "Upstream" by Mary Oliver.  I've reviewed and recommended several of Ms. Oliver's poetry books here on the blog in the past.  As I've said, she is my favorite contemporary poet.  "Upstream" is not a poetry book.  This book is a collection of Mary Oliver's essays.
     Each essay in this collection is wonderfully written.  They can be read again and again.  Among the best essays in the book are the title essay "Upstream" and "Provincetown" which tells us something about the feelings the author has for the town in which she lived for many years.
     I also really enjoyed the essay, "Building the House" where the author relates her experience in building a little house in the backyard to be used as a writing office and storage place.
     If you have not had the pleasure of reading Mary Oliver's poetry, I hope that you will find some of her books and read them  Among contemporary poets, her work is very accessible to those who aren't in the habit of reading a lot of poetry.  If you aren't in the habit of reading a lot of poetry, you should start reading more.  Billy Collins and Ted Kooser are a couple of other poets you might want to read.