Why I want to meet Annie Dillard
My non-original motto=
“Make connections, let rip, and dance where you can.”
Recent stories by and about Annie Dillard
A story about Annie Dillard
She has been my favorite contemporary writer for a number of years—her prose is sinewy, funny & full of light, often all at the same time.
Years back I had a couple of dreams about her. In the first she was trying to find me to interview me because she was interested in my spiritual experience. When she stopped by my home & later when I stopped by hers, we missed each other by minutes both times. The dream told me that I needed to begin focusing on my writing & draw from my spiritual life to fuel it. It gave me permission (which I sorely needed) to start nurturing my writing & taking it seriously.
In the second dream, we were friends & were walking through a writing exhibition, much like an art show except that short pieces of writing were posted instead of images. We commented on different pieces & laughed together comfortably. This dream celebrated the fact that by now I had begun making friends with my writing self.
So Annie has been a potent symbol in my subconscious. The only time I might have been able to meet her briefly in person, the book-signing line was too long & I left after waiting awhile. Really I’m more interested in sharing her writing with others than in meeting her. Her books are great gifts to the world.
