What Kind of Writer is Dillard?

Many critics have tried and failed to give a name for Dillard’s writing, but truthfully, there is no way to sum up the incredible amount of material that Dillard has covered in her writing career.  Some people have tried using labels such as “nature writer” or “ecological, theological, or ecotheological writer” (Smith 343).  The most universal thing about Dillard’s copious texts is that she “wrestles with the essence of things” and comes away with things she has learned and applied to life (Brown-Davidson 1).
As far as nature is concerned, it “is not a blithe passage from winter to spring to summer to fall and to another winter” for Dillard (Smith 351).  Instead she becomes a part of her natural world, and makes her observations from there.  This blending of self into nature also shows that “the enriching power of solitude is another concern of Dillard’s” (Brown-Davidson 3).  Her careful observations are not simply seeing, but also a form of self-actualization.  Dillard embraces nature so that she may learn and discover things about her own life.   This is why it is impossible to deem Dillard simply as a nature writer, or an ecological writer.  Her connections add more to the page than observations do.
Another crucial reason Dillard is difficult to classify is because her writing focuses on so many themes.  She has discussed natural things such as the jungle, muskrats, weasels, and a total eclipse, but she has also talked about her idols, people, and her own writing.  Her personal experience is so important to her observations and through that technique she “manages to recreate with a fresh sense of discovery” (Brown-Davidson 4).   Dillard’s style cannot be described in any other way besides “Dillard”, as it is so crucial to her personal experience.

Works Cited:

Brown-Davidson, Terri. "'Choosing the Given with a Fierce and Pointed Will': Annie Dillard and Risk-Taking in Contemporary Literature". The Hollins Critic: 30.2 (1993 Apr.), pp. 1-10. 28 May 2013.

Smith, Pamela A. "The Ecotheology Of Annie Dillard: A Study In Ambivalence." Cross Currents 45.3 (1995): 341. Web. 28 May 2013.

Passage- "The Stunt Pilot"

Dillard, Annie. "The Stunt Pilot." Ten on Ten: Major Essayists on Recurring Themes. Ed. Robert Atwan. Boston: Bedford of St. Martin's, 1992. 115-25. Print.

(1)The air show announcer hushed.  (2)He had been squawking all day, and now he quit.  (3)The crowd stilled.  (4)Even the children watched dumbstruck as the slow, black biplane buzzed its way around the air.  (5)Rahm made beauty with his whole body; it was pure pattern, and you could watch it happen.  (6)The plane moved every way a line can move, and it controlled three dimensions, so the line carved massive and subtle slits in the air like sculptures. (7)The plane looped the loop, seeming to arch its back like a gymnast; it stalled, dropped, and spun out of it climbing; it spiraled and knifed west on one side’s wings and back east on another; it turned cartwheels, which must be physically impossible; it played with its own line like a cat with yarn.  (8)How did the pilot know where in the air he was? (9) If he got lost, the ground would swat him.

Passage Analysis of Dillard's "The Stunt Pilot"

In the essay “The Stunt Pilot” written by Annie Dillard, Dave Rahm’s air shows are described, and his inspiration to Annie Dillard is expressed.  In the seventh paragraph, Dillard describes the moment where his air show begins.  This passage is very close to the beginning of the essay and describes the moment she was struck with inspiration from his skill and relates it to artistic ability.  In typical Dillard style, she describes the moment as an observer in this moment, and later in the essay, continues to contribute meaning to this impactful scene. 

                  The artistic diction featured in this passage, emphasizes how Dillard feels about Rahm’s skill.  She states that he “made beauty with his whole body”.  The movements of his plane move “everyway a line can move, and it controlled three dimensions”.  Dillard sees the air show as an artistic manipulation of the plane, rather than a stunt.  The plane also creates “subtle slits in the air like sculptures” and is compared to a “gymnast” doing “cartwheels”.  All of this diction recreates the visions Dillard saw, that inspired her so much.  It is an example of her observation which she later develops into a meaningful application of life.

                  Dillard’s use of similes is also frequent in the passage.  By comparing the plane’s movements to so many different things, the reader gets a sense of how much more could be taken from the air show.   The plane “carved massive and subtle slits in the air like sculptures” which reveals how graceful the plane’s movements were.  Dillard also states that the plane’s looping arched its back “like a gymnast”.   Comparing the movements to a gymnast also gives a sense of gracefulness, but it is also interesting because it relates the movements to flexibility and ease, which is impossible for a fixed and structured machine.  The last simile Dillard uses is that the plane “played with its own line like a cat with yarn”.  This gives the entire show a sense of playfulness and ease that make the movements seem effortless.  However, all of these similes are used to describe the absolute skill and talent of Rahm.  His gracefulness, flexibility, and easy playfulness are obviously difficult traits to manage when flying in an air show, and Dillard is showing her appreciation of these skills.

                  In the passage’s longest sentence, sentence seven, parallelism is heftily relied on.  After each simile in this sentence, Dillard follows with an impendent clause, all linked together through semi-colons.  This extremely long sentence seems to create an effect of holding one’s breath.  The semi-colons provide pauses, where more action is taking place.  However, throughout the entire sentence, Dillard is unable to stop watching or describing the incredible event.   As the audience watches the plane, “it stalled”, “it spiraled and knifed”, “it turned cartwheels”, and “it played with its own line”.  All of these actions are reasons for why Dillard can’t end her sentence, because the plane keeps her surprised and watching. 

                  The organization of the paragraph is set up so that Dillard can introduce the moment.  She begins with the sentences “The air show announcer hushed” and “the crowd stilled” so the reader recognizes this is a moment to pay attention to.  The shortness of these sentences also reveal the anticipation that the crowd and herself were feeling.   The rest of the paragraph is the description of her own observations, and ends with “How did the pilot know where in the air he was? If he got lost, the ground would swat him”.  These ending phrases once again reaffirm her amazement she has for Rahm.  The last phrase also addresses her awareness that he is doing something dangerous, which reaffirms her awe for all of his artistic actions.

                  This passage is a perfect representation of how Dillard stylizes her essays.  She begins with her own observations, and tangles them into a web of realizations and life lessons that she reaches by the end of her essay.  In this passage Dillard’s acute sense of observation is evident, and leads to the beginning of her conclusions from this inspiring moment.  

Works Cited:
Dillard, Annie. "The Stunt Pilot." Ten on Ten: Major Essayists on Recurring Themes. Ed. Robert Atwan. Boston: Bedford of St. Martin's, 1992. 115-25. Print.

Photos

"I am no scientist, but a poet and a walker with a background in theology and a penchant for quirky facts"
-Annie Dillard

Is Dillard a transcendentalist?

Annie Dillard has a notorious reputation as a nature writer.  This title also leads to the idea that Dillard follows the style of transcendentalism.  This belief comes from the fact that Dillard’s writing typically “watches the details of her natural environment with a sense of amazement and is overwhelmed with the lessons which nature can teach her” (Reimer 184).  However, Dillard’s “preoccupation is more personal, less inclined to make final statements about the human and social order” (Reimer 186).   Rather than focusing completely on the elements of nature, Dillard is a natural observer who takes away important realizations and lessons from her experiences.

            While Dillard often writes essays that focus on nature and the description of an environment, the connections she creates are less universal and much more personally based.  Another difference is that Dillard almost never references other literary writers, and instead focuses “her attention almost completely on the observations of scientists and biblical writers” (Reimer 184).  Rather than criticize the corruptions that men run into when they stray from nature, Dillard focuses her attention simply on what can be learned from nature.  Her personal observations are at the heart of her works, and the conclusions she draws form the meaning she intends.  

Works Cited:

Reimer, Margaret Loewen. "The Dialectical Vision Of Annie Dillard's Pilgrim At Tinker Creek." Critique 24.3 (1983): 182. Academic Search Premier. Web. 28 May 2013.

Dillard's Readings on National Public Radio

Annie Dillard featured on National Public Radio!


Tale of Bohemian Love by the Sea

This radio interview is Dillard discussing some of her style techniques, specifically for her novel, "The Maytrees".  She talks about concision and how she often tries to replace a two-syllable word for a one-syllable word to get the effect she desires.  She has learned to take out everything other than the meaning she wants to display.  In other words she wants her writing to be "clean as a whistle".   As far as techniques for writing, she says to slow down and think.  "A story should be simplified and enlarged".

In this interview, Dillard also admits that she can not write anymore.  In her aging, she can no longer write with her fingers.  She also feels that as a writer, "The Maytrees" was her "great story", and she can not top it.  It also took her ten years to write, and "nearly killed" her.

The Maytrees

This passage is from Annie Dillard's novel "The Maytrees".  In this reading Dillard's nature theme is prevalent.  However, through her descriptions of nature, a deeper thought is usually located just as in this passage.  Dillard ends with the description of a "wad of air" which is very characteristic of her.  She often uses uncharacteristic descriptive phrases such as "wad of" to create fantastic imagery.


Dots in Blue Water

In this essay, Annie Dillard discusses the Tsunami that hit Bangladesh on April 30, 1991 killing over 138,000 people.  She opens with a conversation with her young daughter, who says that it is easy to imagine this tragedy if you think about the people as "blue dots".  Dillard plays with this idea discussing the fact that people neglect the idea of starving people in Haiti when they are scarfing down a meal.  The people are just blue dots.  However she comes to the conclusion that despite this, people ultimately try to save the blue dots whether they can see them or not.  In Dillard's typical style, she takes a moment and comes away with revelations and life lessons.


Dillard Quote:
“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.” 
― Annie Dillard

Dillard's Paintings

Blackfish Creek

Four Flaming Monopods

My Virginia Cabin

The Road to Emmaus

Dillard Quote:
“I think it would be well, and proper, and obedient, and pure, to grasp your one necessity and not let it go, to dangle from it limp wherever it takes you.”
― Annie Dillard

Photographs taken from:
http://www.galleryongreene.com/AnnieDillard.html