Mary Oliver has announced that she was diagnosed with a serious illness and as a result has had to cancel all engagements. But she also said she's healing and anticipates a full recovery.
The news of her illness, however, hit a lot of people as a blow. For many -- poets but also a large number of readers who are not poets -- Mary Oliver's work has sparked significant moments of spiritual epiphany, comfort, and joy. Her poems are important to us for deeply human reasons.
So to channel the sympathy pouring out toward Ms. Oliver, poets Julie Brooks Barbour and Julie Moore came up with a marvelous way blog of personal notes of support, Dear Mary. Hopefully it will be a sustaining comfort to Mary Oliver as she gets better. It's certainly a joy to read for those of us who are her devoted fans.