Annie Dillard facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Annie Dillard
Born	Annie Doak (1945-04-30) April 30, 1945 (age 80) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Occupation	Writer
Period	1974–present
Genre	Nonfiction fiction poetry
Notable works	Pilgrim at Tinker Creek The Maytrees
Notable awards	Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction 1975 – Pilgrim at Tinker Creek
Spouse	Richard Dillard (1965–1975, div.) Gary Clevidence (1976–1988) Robert D. Richardson (1988–2020, his death)
Children	Cody Rose

Annie Dillard (born Annie Doak on April 30, 1945) is a famous American writer. She is known for her stories and essays, both true and made-up. She has written poems, essays, and even two novels. Her book Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, published in 1974, won a big award called the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction in 1975. Annie Dillard also taught English at Wesleyan University for 21 years, starting in 1980.

Early Life

Annie Dillard was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on April 30, 1945. Her parents were Frank and Pam Doak. She was the oldest of three daughters.

You can learn about Annie Dillard's childhood from her autobiography, An American Childhood (1987). This book describes her growing up in the 1950s in Pittsburgh. She wrote about "waking up" and becoming more aware of the world around her. She said her home was "full of comedians."

Dillard described her mother as a very energetic person who didn't always follow the rules. Her father taught her many useful things. These included plumbing and how novels work. As she got older, she realized her parents weren't perfect.

As a child, Dillard loved to read many different subjects. These included geology, nature, insects, and poetry. She enjoyed books that helped her connect with the world. She also liked books that offered a way to escape. Her days were busy with exploring, piano, dance, and collecting rocks and bugs. She also loved drawing and reading books from the library. These books included stories about nature and World War II.

Annie Dillard went to Shadyside Presbyterian Church as a child. Her parents did not go to church. She spent four summers at a church camp. As a teenager, she stopped going to church. She felt there was "hypocrisy."

She went to Pittsburgh Public Schools until fifth grade. Then she attended The Ellis School until she went to college.

Education

Annie Dillard went to Hollins College in Roanoke, Virginia. There, she studied English, religion, and creative writing. She said that in college, she learned from other people's ideas. She felt college was a place to learn what others had thought.

She earned her first degree in 1967. She got her Master's degree in 1968. Her Master's paper was about Henry David Thoreau. It showed how his book Walden Pond was a central idea for his writing.

After college, Dillard spent time painting, writing, and keeping a journal. Some of her poems and short stories were published. She also worked for Lyndon B. Johnson's program to fight poverty.

From 1975 to 1978, Dillard was a special writer at Western Washington University. She has also received special degrees from other colleges. These include Boston College and Connecticut College.

Career

Writing

Annie Dillard's writing has been compared to famous authors like Virginia Woolf. She also likes authors such as Henry James and Ernest Hemingway.

Tickets for a Prayer Wheel (1974)

This was Annie Dillard's first book of poems. In it, she first wrote about ideas she would explore more deeply later.

Pilgrim at Tinker Creek (1974)

Dillard used her journals to write Pilgrim at Tinker Creek. This book is a true story about nature near her home in Roanoke, Virginia. It describes God by looking closely at nature. Some parts of the book were first printed in magazines.

The book won the 1975 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction. Annie Dillard was 28 years old. This made her the youngest woman to win this award.

Holy the Firm (1977)

Annie Dillard decided to write about things that happened over three days on Lummi Island. During this time, a plane crashed. This made Dillard think about why bad things happen in the world.

This book was only 66 pages long. But it took her 14 months to write it. A reviewer called it "a rare and precious book."

Teaching a Stone to Talk (1982)

This book is a collection of 14 short true stories and travel essays. One essay, "Total Eclipse," was chosen for a list of the best American essays of the 20th century. Dillard herself said that "The Weasel" essay is "lots of fun."

The essays in Teaching a Stone to Talk include:

• "Total Eclipse"
• "An Expedition to the Pole"
• "In the Jungle"
• "Living Like Weasels"
• "The Deer at Providencia"
• "Teaching a Stone to Talk"
• "On a Hill Far Away"
• "Lenses"
• "Life on the Rocks: The Galapagos"
• "A Field of Silence"
• "God in the Doorway"
• "Mirages"
• "Sojourner"
• "Aces and Eights"

Living by Fiction (1982)

In this book, Dillard shared her ideas about why characters and stories in literature are important. She later said writing this book made her want to write a traditional novel.

Encounters with Chinese Writers (1984)

This book is a type of journalism. One part takes place in China. Dillard was part of a group of American writers visiting there. In the second part, Dillard hosted Chinese writers in America. She took them to Disneyland with poet Allen Ginsberg. She described this experience as "hilarious."

The Writing Life (1989)

This book is a collection of short essays. In it, Dillard talks about how, where, and why she writes. One newspaper called it "a small and brilliant guidebook to a writer's task." Another said it was a "warm, rambling conversation" for writers.

The Living (1992)

This was Annie Dillard's first novel. It is about the first European settlers on the Pacific Northwest coast. While writing it, she only read books from the time period she was writing about. She also made sure not to use words that didn't exist back then.

Mornings Like This (1995)

This book is made of "found poetry." Dillard took phrases from old books and arranged them into poems. The poems often have a surprising or funny tone. They are not about the original books' topics. Dillard said these poems were "really hard" to create.

For the Time Being (1999)

This book is a true story told in a narrative style. It covers topics like birth, sand, China, clouds, and numbers. Dillard wrote that she left the Catholic Church and Christianity. However, she said she still feels close to Christianity and Hasidism (a Jewish movement).

The Maytrees (2007)

The Maytrees is Dillard's second novel. It tells a story of love between a husband and wife. They live in Provincetown, Cape Cod, after World War II. The book was a finalist for a major fiction award in 2008.

The Abundance (2017)

This book is a collection of essays. Annie Dillard herself chose the essays for this book. It was published in 2017.

Teaching

In 1975, Dillard moved to the Pacific Northwest. She taught at Fairhaven College and Western Washington University for four years. In 1980, she started teaching in the English department at Wesleyan University. This university is in Middletown, Connecticut. She taught there until she retired in 2002.

Awards and Honors

Annie Dillard's books have been translated into at least 10 languages. Her Pulitzer-winning book, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, was named one of the 100 best nonfiction books of the century. Her novel The Living was also listed among the 100 best Western novels.

In 1997, Dillard was added to the Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame. This was for her work in writing and journalism. In 2000, her book For the Time Being won an award for essay writing.

In 2005, an artist named Jenny Holzer used Dillard's book An American Childhood in an art project. It was a light-based artwork in Pittsburgh.

The New York Times named Maytrees one of the top ten books published in 2007. On September 10, 2015, Annie Dillard received a National Humanities Medal. This is a very high honor for people who work in the humanities.

Personal Life

Relationships

In 1965, when she was 20, Annie Dillard married Richard Dillard. He was her creative writing professor. They divorced in 1975. After that, she moved to Lummi Island in Washington.

In 1976, she married Gary Clevidence. He was an anthropology professor. They had a child named Cody Rose, born in 1984. Dillard and Clevidence were married until 1988.

In 1988, Dillard married Robert D. Richardson. He was a writer who wrote about history. She had sent him a fan letter about one of his books. They were married until Richardson passed away in 2020.

Religion

After college, Dillard explored different spiritual ideas. Her first book, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, mentions many religions. These include Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, and Inuit spirituality. For a while, Dillard became a Catholic around 1988.

In her 1999 book, For the Time Being, she wrote about moving away from Christianity. She talked about some Christian ideas that seemed confusing to her. However, she said she still felt close to Christianity and Hasidism. Her personal website now lists her religion as "none."

Helping Others

Annie Dillard sells her paintings to help a group called Partners in Health. This group is based in Boston. It is a nonprofit organization that helps people with health care around the world.

Major Works

• 1974 Tickets for a Prayer Wheel ISBN: 0-8195-6536-9
• 1974 Pilgrim at Tinker Creek ISBN: 0-06-095302-0
• 1977 Holy The Firm ISBN: 0-06-091543-9
• 1982 Living By Fiction ISBN: 0-06-091544-7
• 1982 Teaching a Stone To Talk ISBN: 0-06-091541-2
• 1984 Encounters with Chinese Writers ISBN: 0-8195-6156-8
• 1987 An American Childhood ISBN: 0-06-091518-8
• 1989 The Writing Life ISBN: 0-06-091988-4
• 1992 The Living ISBN: 0-06-092411-X
• 1995 Mornings Like This: Found Poems ISBN: 0-06-092725-9
• 1999 For the Time Being ISBN: 0-375-40380-9
• 2007 The Maytrees ISBN: 0-06-123953-4
• 2016 The Abundance: Narrative Essays Old & New ISBN: 0-06-243297-4

See also

In Spanish: Annie Dillard para niños