Latest news with #MaryOliver
CTV News
04-07-2025
- General
- CTV News
Alcoholics Anonymous Marks Its 90th Birthday
Vancouver Watch CTV Morning Live sits down with Alcoholics Anonymous Volunteer, Mary Oliver to learn more how its 90th birthday is being acknowledged in Vancouver!
Irish Times
20-06-2025
- General
- Irish Times
The Irish Times view on the summer solstice: your one wild and precious life
The period around the summer solstice, after which the daylight hours will diminish, has always been marked with ceremony and ritual to acknowledge the summer's peak. Whether embracing the legends and traditions of the Hill of Tara, or lighting bonfires in west Donegal to mark St John's Eve, the day before the feast day of St. John the Baptist, or undertaking solstice walks in Kerry, or finding a sunny soundtrack, those celebrating this time of year draw on the interplay of Ireland's pagan and Christian inheritances to pay homage to one of the distinct quarters of the year. Historically, the summer solstice was about the recording of the passage of time, festivals associated with agriculture and farming, fire ashes spread on crops to boost their yield, and for some, a belief that the soul would depart temporarily from the body as the sun stood still. Folklore records the widespread belief in rural Ireland that with every day after the solstice 'the shadows lengthened by a cock-step'. Marking the solstice is not just about giving structure to the year and its progression, but also the elemental need to embrace nature and the open air. It invites us to contemplate our fragilities and our need to be aware of the preciousness and power of what surrounds us. It should bolster a consciousness of our landscape, environment and the life forces running through them; of old creations facing new pressures and the solaces we can find and cherish. The American poet Mary Oliver reminded us of our need not to forget these things in her 1992 poem The Summer Day 'I don't know exactly what a prayer is. READ MORE I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass, how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields, which is what I have been doing all day. Tell me, what else should I have done? Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon? Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?'
The Hindu
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Wild Geese, Hyderabad's new lending library at Nallagandla hopes to attract young and adult readers
A spacious room on the second floor of an apartment complex in Nallagandla, Hyderabad, now houses a modest yet inviting lending library. Surrounded by greenery, the quiet neighbourhood allows for natural light and cross ventilation through multiple window panes. Wild Geese Library (@ named after the Mary Oliver poem, is only a few weeks old. A passion project by Sankeerthana, an avid reader and cinephile, it aims to welcome both young and adult readers. An engineer and former IT professional who later began writing about cinema, Sankeerthana had long dreamt of being surrounded by books. 'It was a romantic dream,' she says, referencing Meg Ryan's character in You've Got Mail, who runs a small independent bookstore. 'But a bookstore was beyond my budget; the next best thing was a lending library.' The idea took three years to take shape. She saved up, found a space in her neighbourhood, and Wild Geese was born. Her eight-year-old son, Vivaan Varma, helped her set up the collection — now over 5,000 books strong. Talking about the relevance of lending libraries, Sankeerthana says, 'When we buy books online, we tend to look for what we already know. A library gives you the chance to browse, get curious, take recommendations and discover something new.' She has observed this shift in her son too, who tends to read what is popular among his peers but becomes more open to other titles when browsing at the library. She hopes Wild Geese fosters the same curiosity in other readers. While a large portion of the collection caters to ages six to 18, there is enough to engage adult readers as well, with books in both English and Telugu. Some are from her personal library, while others were sourced from friends, family, and book fairs such as Abids Sunday Market and 'Lock the Box', as well as second-hand stores in Hyderabad. 'Even when buying pre-owned books, I avoid anything too worn out, and I never pick pirated editions,' she adds. Classics like The Famous Five and The Secret Seven by Enid Blyton, The Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew,Sherlock Holmes, Harry Potter, and Tintin sit alongside titles like Winnie the Pooh, Keeper of the Lost Cities, How to Train Your Dragon, Geronimo Stilton, Wings of Fire, Percy Jackson, and books by Terry Pratchett. The Telugu collection was curated with help from Hyderabad-based Anvikshiki Publishers. Sankeerthana's reading journey began in Vizianagaram, Andhra Pradesh, with her father's books. Later, while studying engineering, she made regular use of her college library. 'Wild Geese is also a way for me to reconnect with the joy of reading,' she says. The library offers membership plans ranging from one to twelve months. Word-of-mouth is slowly spreading through community groups and residential complexes nearby. As the readership grows, Sankeerthana hopes to organise interactive reading and storytelling sessions to foster a deeper connection with books. (Wild Geese Library is at 202, Sai Orchids, Huda Layout, Nallagandla, Hyderabad. Email: Ph: 7075849255)
Toronto Star
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Toronto Star
Blondshell alt-rock finds new nuance on ‘If You Asked for a Picture'
Sabrina Teitelbaum, who records under the band name Blondshell, is a longtime student of alt-rock. She knows a thing or two about all the ways in which a cutting lyric and thunderous guitar can rejuvenate the soul and soundtrack rage. On her sophomore album, 'If You Asked for a Picture,' named after Mary Oliver's 1986 poem 'Dogfish,' she builds from the success of her earlier work – 2023's self-titled debut and its haunting single 'Salad.' Over the course of 12 tracks, much like on her first album, Blondshell reckons with a woman's role in her various relationships, personally and societally. Those messages — gritty, real, existential and fluid as they are — arrive atop visceral instrumentation, hearty guitars and punchy percussion.
Winnipeg Free Press
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Music Review: Blondshell alt-rock finds new nuance on ‘If You Asked for a Picture'
Sabrina Teitelbaum, who records under the band name Blondshell, is a longtime student of alt-rock. She knows a thing or two about all the ways in which a cutting lyric and thunderous guitar can rejuvenate the soul and soundtrack rage. On her sophomore album, 'If You Asked for a Picture,' named after Mary Oliver's 1986 poem 'Dogfish,' she builds from the success of her earlier work – 2023's self-titled debut and its haunting single 'Salad.' Over the course of 12 tracks, much like on her first album, Blondshell reckons with a woman's role in her various relationships, personally and societally. Those messages — gritty, real, existential and fluid as they are — arrive atop visceral instrumentation, hearty guitars and punchy percussion. 'Oh well you're not gonna save him,' she reminds listeners in 'Arms.' Much of 'If You Asked for a Picture' sits at the intersection of modern indie, '90s grunge and '80s college radio rock, like that of 'Event of a Fire.' On the acoustic fake-out 'Thumbtack,' instrumentation builds slow and remains restrained. 'Man' is muscular, with its soaring distortion and layered production. On 'If You Asked for a Picture,' relationships are nuanced, awkward and honest — her flawed and frustrated characters show how easy it is to succumb to the whims of someone who doesn't have your best interest in mind, to become someone else when you don't know who you are. That's clear on 'Change,' where she sings, 'It's not my fault it's who I am / When I feel bad I bring it back and leave it all at your door.' And the anxious complications compound: 'A parting gift / Kiss me back / I'm sorry for changing.' If there is a main weakness in 'If You asked for a Picture,' it is that a number of the tracks bleed together sonically near the record's end, making it hard to distinguish a three-song run: 'Toy' to 'Man.' Fans will likely label it stylistic consistency rather than tiresome repetition. During Elections Get campaign news, insight, analysis and commentary delivered to your inbox during Canada's 2025 election. That said, there's a lot to love here. 'T&A,' 'Model Rockets' and the palm-muted power chords of 'What's Fair' warrant repeat listens. 'Why don't the good ones love me?' Blondshell asks on 'T&A,' with its dreamy guitar tone 'Watching him fall / Watching him go right in front of me.' The swaying mellotron of 'Model Rockets' ends the album. 'I'm a bad bad girl / Bad bad girl,' she adds to the closer. 'Life may have been happening elsewhere / And I don't know what I want anymore.' It might serve as a mission statement for the album — where identity and desire are malleable, influenced by relationships and the evolving nature of the world, made more complicated by simply being a woman in it.
