Annie Dillard Discussion Questions

1. If I saw anyone drink that much coffee (it must be a lot) I would be ready with a syringe of insulin or something. Anyway, the most physical ritual I do, which is rare, is pushups. Very stimulating. But usually, I just stare at the blank Word document, think of what I want to say, and edit it as I actually type. I type as much as I can before I take a small break to think more. To help with this, I go back and edit what I just wrote. Sometimes I listen to music or watch a music video or one of my favorite TV shows if I’m really stuck. I guess that’s kind of like procrastinating. Well, as I watch TV, I try to find little inspirations like how the camera moves or how they introduce a new scene. If I get bored with this technique, that’s where the pushups come in. With my body full of adrenaline, I stare at the screen, think of what I want to say, and type it.

2. I knock down walls all the time, in the sense I go back to edit all the time. The main idea is usually good enough, but the times it’s not, I will knock down the main wall and start over, which is frustrating. Thankfully that hasn’t happened in a while.
So does Dillard refer to these walls or foundations/limitations created by the writer, or by social constructions? I’m leaning toward social constructions because

3. Her metaphors make her book all the more interesting. I’ve never had an interest in writing like that because I would butcher it. I can sure try though.
The New Year begins with winter: Cold, stark, dry, and quiet. Trees are bare and menacing looking and the animals are silent, trying to keep warm. Then the Earth comes alive. Grass is green again. Trees and flowers are in full bloom. Birds sing. The entire Salt Lake Valley is washed with color. Summer arrives and the colors fade a little, but are still alive and thriving. Fall comes and with that, leaves fall, flowers die, silence reigns. The world seems to dull and fall asleep. The first major snowfall arrives and winter has begun. Even though winter is cold and stark, that first snowstorm blankets the valley in hues of blue. Sunsets cast light across the snow into oranges, violets, reds, and yellows. When people see this, they think winter is worth it.
So with that in mind (not sure if it’s a full blown metaphor) my process starts out well enough and then I get comfortable with my idea, i.e. spring. I slow down a bit and edit what I have written so far, which is summer. When I get stuck I try I listen to music or something (autumn). Then I might do pushups or listening to music helps and I begin writing again. I consider metaphors useful when they’re used correctly and easy enough to understand or really gets you thinking.

4. Yes, I do share her mysticism (as long she does it) because like I said above, it makes her writing all the more interesting. She explains it in vivid detail like you were watching the inchworm freak out. She doesn’t just tell it, she shows it. Reading her book will definitely help me develop a similar approach.

5. Yes she aims to entertain and intrigue us. When it comes to purposely being vague, maybe she hopes for us to fill in the holes ourselves, to discover our own way of writing too perhaps.