The Poet of Dawn is the Poet of Darkness: A Talk with Mary Oliver Biographer Lindsay Whalen

The Poet of Dawn is the Poet of Darkness: A Talk with Mary Oliver Biographer Lindsay Whalen

From The Guest House: "Gem Tactics" by Shawn Parell and David Keplinger

January 18, 2026 · 1h 1m

About this episode

The episode features a conversation with Lindsay Whalen, the biographer of Mary Oliver, discussing the poet's life and influence.

Seven years after Mary Oliver’s death, her work feels even more vital, showing us how to love the world with its myriad faces. In this episode, we have the sincere honor of speaking with biographer Lindsay Whalen, whose forthcoming book from Penguin Press explores the life behind the beloved poet. Our conversation ranges from the poet’s focus on real life and her famous anonymity to David’s and Lindsay’s shared experiences with Mary in the years they knew her. Gathering these voices who represent the small group of surviving friends of the poet, the conversation goes deep into the links between Mary’s influence on Shawn’s practice as a yogi and therapist, David’s poetry, and Lindsay’s much-anticipated account of this singular human life. Lindsay Whalen is writing the first biography of the poet Mary Oliver, forthcoming from The Penguin Press. She is the recipient of the CUNY Graduate Center’s Leon Levy Center for Biography Fellowship and is a graduate of Brooklyn College’s MFA in Fiction. She began her career in publishing, and continues to work with authors as an independent editor. Resource Links: Learn more about Lindsay and her work: Upcoming Seminar: Lindsay Whalen on Mary…

People in this episode

Hosts: Shawn Parell, David Keplinger

Guest: Lindsay Whalen

Topics covered

  • Mary Oliver
  • biography
  • poetry
  • influence
  • yoga
  • friendship

Keywords

  • Mary Oliver
  • Lindsay Whalen
  • biography
  • poetry
  • influence
  • yoga
  • CUNY Graduate Center
  • Penguin Press

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Penguin Press, CUNY Graduate Center, Brooklyn College

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