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This sixty-eight page book could be a symbol for what Annie Dillard says about her process of writing—that what she does most is “fool around” (p. 582). Most pages are filled with obscure metaphors, some seemingly random, and descriptions of what she does when she isn’t writing. She is aware of how abstract her writing is: “Recently I had published a complex narrative essay about a moth’s flying into a candle, which no one had understood but a Yale critic… I was a critic writing for critics: was this what I had in mind?” (p. 583).
One concept Annie Dillard explores is that the writing life is freedom, and she comments more than several times about this. “It is life at it’s most free,” she says, and, “You are free to make several thousand close judgment calls a day” (p. 555). But the process of writing is not free. To be able to express one’s self is freedom, and writing can be a form of self-expression, but a good book is the product of planning, of knowing what you want to say and how to articulate it, of making outlines, editing and revising; therefore, the process of writing is not free.
Towards the end of the book, however, Annie Dillard goes against what she said earlier, though unfortunately never rectifying her contracting view points. This occurs in the chapter long story of the pilot, whose theatrical flying shows Annie Dillard uses as a metaphor for art and freedom; she recognizes that he only appears free and easy: “If I had not turned two barrel rolls in an airplane, I might have fancied Rahm felt good up there, and playful… Drawing lines in an airplane, unfortunately, tortures the senses. Jet bomber pilots black out.Read more ›
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Although The Writing Life was not what I expected, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I thought it was going to be full of advice, a how-to book about how to craft the perfect sentence, write believable dialogue, or "show, not tell," but instead the small volume was about Annie Dillard's daily life and her writing struggles.
A student of life in all forms (including moths and cats), Dillard illustrates that everything can be a subject worthy of writing about. How does she do it? Is there a secret? No. What she does is seclude herself from the world in places such as remote cabins and small rooms. It's a lonely life, often frustrating and aggravating. Once while working in an office on a university campus, Dillard kept the blinds closed to shut out the world. One night she kept hearing what she thought was a June bug hitting the window pane, and when she peeped behind the slats, she saw fireworks exploding and blossoming in the night sky. She had been so into her work that she had forgotten it was July 4th.
What I especially enjoyed about the book were the several stories about topics ranging from playing softball with young music prodigies to flying with an ace pilot. Every story has something relevant to the writing life. My favorite story was that of Paul Glenn when Dillard asked him how his work was going. Glenn told of a man who had been carried out to sea trying to bring a log in; despite the tides and currents, the man kept on rowing, just like Glenn kept on writing. Reading about the habits and inspiration of other writers was interesting too. Who knew that Eudora Welty loved Chekhov?Read more ›
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This is an especially incoherent collection of essays. Many books about writing by published authors are a collection of essays, but this compilation lacks direction. Other books like Lamott's "Bird by Bird" or King's "On Writing" provide useful information or anecdotes. The inspiration those books provide is grounded in a common experience among authors. Dillard's "The Writing Life" comes across as stream of consciousness. Any useful information is to be interpreted; it's not actually clear that the author's essays are meant to be helpful. This may work for some readers who just enjoy her flavor of writing, but the collection as a whole reads like little better than a disjointed fiction about a protagonist who happens to also be a writer.
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Reading about the life of writing is a search for a muse, a hunt for some artistic stimulation that sends you to your own writing. The Writing Life is like following Dillard around, watching her discover new muses and fight through droughts of non-writing. She keeps you around as a conversation partner, though you don't have much to say. But this doesn't bother her.
In a way: A muse igniter is what this book is. You're brought into the writing lab (wherever that may be) and allowed to read a master's process. As she works, you feel something within yourself turning over. Like being in the presence of someone quite creative and seeing their creativity create something ex nihilo within you soul, this book is your chance to be the fly on the wall.
Add to this, Dillard is just fun to read - a genius at expressing the uninhibited, real human experience.
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