Kindling the Examined Life
“”I got saved by poetry, and I got saved by the beauty of the world.”
— Mary Oliver
Sasha Waters, an American documentary and experimental filmmaker, feminist and educator. She has produced and directed over twenty films and we are here today to talk about her latest, Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World, which will be theatrically released July 3rd (see dates and locations of screenings here) and will air nationally on the PBS series American Masters on August 25th, 2026. I cannot urge you enough, run to see Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World if it is playing in your town. It is a gorgeous, intimate portrait of Mary Oliver. In our conversation we talk about what we can learn from Mary Oliver, the sacred interplay with nature, devotion and attention, and what makes Mary Oliver a grand poet for our times.
Visit Sasha Waters at pieshake.com | IG: @pieshakepictures
Episode Show Notes
Films Directed by Sasha Waters
- Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World
- Garry Winogrand: All Things are Photographable
- Chekhov for Children
- This American Gothic
- Razing Appalachia
- See Sasha’s full catalog of film
Resources & People Mentioned
- Mary Oliver
- Molly Malone Cook
- John Waters
- Stephen Colbert
- David Keplinger
- Edna St. Vincent Millay
- Garrison Keillor
Drink Recommended
- Pond water
Photo provided by Pieshake Productions
Links to book purchases give a kickback to a local New Mexican bookstore and Contemplify
