Upstream: Selected Essays

The metaphor of moving “upstream” frames Oliver’s childhood and creative identity in the practice of being different. In what ways does the upstream motion signify resistance, independence, or self-formation? How does she explore different ways of being different or embracing difference across the collection?

Many of Oliver’s essays explore solitude as both liberating and demanding. How does Upstream characterize solitude? What tensions emerge between solitude and human community?

Explore the motifs of life and death in the essays. How does Oliver depict the nature of life and death? How do these twin forces shape her experiences and her perspective?

Upstream frequently meditates on creativity. How does Oliver describe the creative process, and how do her descriptions challenge romanticized notions of artistic inspiration?

Compare Oliver’s depiction of the natural world with that of another nature writer—Thoreau, Dillard, Baldwin, or Emerson. In what ways does Oliver continue, revise, or resist the traditions she inherits?

Memory plays a central role in Oliver’s writing. How does she use memory and explore the nature of memory in the essays?

The essays in Upstream refuse clear boundaries between genres. Analyze how Oliver combines memoir, nature writing, and philosophical reflection. How does this hybridity contribute to the book’s meaning?

Oliver’s critiques of society are subtle but incisive. Identify an essay in which she critiques modern life—its speed, distractions, or demands—and analyze her rhetorical strategies for doing so without resorting to overt polemic.