A Very Mary Oliver Poetry Salon

Striding Deeper into the World: Mary Oliver’s Poems as Wisdom for the Journey

One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began…

Kathie Collins writes, "Many years ago, in a Bible study group of all things, I encountered my first Mary Oliver poem. I don’t know whether it’s understatement or overstatement to say 'The Journey' changed my life. What the poem did was wake me up to a pattern I was living. It told me: You can make a different choice. Since then, it’s become an important talisman, returning me time and again to that quiet center of being where I find the wisdom and inspiration needed for my next turn on the spiral path."

If Oliver’s poems have awakened, inspired, or guided your journey in some way—or you’d like to see how they might—please join us for an evening of reading, reflection, light sharing, and intuitive inspiration. Bring a journal to capture your thoughts.

(In case you’ve missed the news, after a short run this summer in theaters, the documentary Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World releases to streaming services, including PBS Passport, on August 25th.)

Kathie Collins, co-founder and creative director of Charlotte Lit and editor-in-chief of Charlotte Lit Press, is a poet, mythologist, and lifelong student of Jungian psychology—which, consciously and unconsciously, makes its way into her work. She earned her graduate degrees in mythological studies at Pacifica Graduate Institute, where she also served as adjunct faculty. Kathie is author of Jubilee (Main Street Rag) and her poems have appeared in Jackdaw, Kakalak, Literary Mama, Pedestal Magazine, Santa Fe Literary Review, Susurrus, and others. She’s a 2023 Pushcart nominee, and a finalist in both the Iron Horse Lit Review and Palette Poetry 2023 Chapbook competitions.