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October Book Club Pick: Upstream

By: Stefanie Schefter

TITLE: Upstream
AUTHOR: Mary Oliver
GENRE: Essay Collection, Nature Writing
ACTIVATED SUPERPOWERS: Simplicity, Gratitude
BEST READ WHEN: You feel like going on a hike without leaving your couch.

When fall arrives every year, it’s impossible to ignore all the changes happening in nature. Each new day brings more vibrant leaves, a slightly chillier breeze, apples ripening on the trees. On a late afternoon stroll, you might notice the golden light of an early evening sunset, see the geese flying south overhead, or notice a squirrel collecting acorns to prepare for the impending cold. It’s little moments like these that Mary Oliver celebrates in her essay collection Upstream, our October Book Club pick.

At Life is Good, we are huge proponents of unplugging, getting outside, and enjoying the peace and beauty of nature. This time of year especially, the stunning transformations taking place beckon us into the wild, inviting us to experience the magic of autumn firsthand.

Reading Upstream is a little bit like taking a meandering walk through the woods, following Oliver’s train of thought as she writes about everything from trees, to tulips, to her favorite ponds and streams. She writes:

“Through these woods I have walked thousands of times. For many years I felt more at home here than anywhere else, including our own house. Stepping out into the world, into the grass, onto the path, was always a kind of relief. I was not escaping anything. I was returning to the arena of delight.”

I love thinking of nature as an “arena of delight”, filled with amazing things to notice and discover. Oliver’s appreciation of tiny details like a fox’s tracks through the snow, an owl perched overhead, a school of silvery fish, is an undeniably optimistic way of moving through the world.

Upstream by Mary Oliver

Oliver herself said that “attention is the beginning of devotion,” and by that I think she means that you can only truly love something if you stay curious, observe closely, and keep your eyes open to beauty in all forms. That’s exactly what we do here at Life is Good—we’re always on the lookout for something good, keeping our eyes peeled for positivity in even the toughest situations.

Oliver also writes about creativity, about the importance of purposeful work, and about how integral getting outside is to her writing. She says, “I could not be a poet without the natural world. Someone else could. But not me. For me the door to the woods is the door to the temple.” We love hearing about what inspires creativity in artists of all kinds.

Of course, in nature as in life, change and endings are inevitable. This time of year, that message is especially true. Oliver writes—

“All things are meltable, and replaceable. Not at this moment, but soon enough, we are lambs and we are leaves, and we are stars, and the shining, mysterious pond itself.”

So, if you feel like curling up in a cozy corner on a brisk fall afternoon, contemplating life and nature, and letting your mind drift along with Oliver’s beautifully crafted essays, then Upstream is the perfect pick for you. Let us know what you think of this read!

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