Annie Dillard

Despite her initial suspicion that her work would not be
taken seriously, Annie Dillard has become an author of
critical acclaim. Her first work, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek,
was awarded the Pulitzer Prize marking Annie Dillard
as a renowned author. Dillard’s Pilgrim at Tinker Creek
reads like a flow of consciousness, structured only by the
seasons; it mixes a varied amount of knowledge with
thought-provoking spiritual insight. After her near-death
experience due to the pneumonia, Dillard decided to truly
experience life. This decision led her to Pilgrim Creek where
she complied nearly 20 volumes of journals into a cleverly
crafted Pilgrim at Tinker Creek. The transcendentalist thoughts
expressed through Pilgrim at Tinker Creek were highly influenced
by Dillard’s two favorite authors: Henry David Thoreau and
Ralph Waldo Emerson. Through her degree in English from
Hollins College, Dillard searched for meaning in writing allowing
herself to be molded by the writers she was reading. In addition
to this, Dillard’s writing was also influenced by her affluent
childhood, allowing her to indulge in post-materialist concerns
such as the environment and religious beliefs. Dillard’s religious
curiosity is also expressed through Pilgrim at Tinker Creek.
Raised Presbyterian, Dillard rebelled against the fundamentalist
summer camps her parents forced upon her and searched for her
own enlightenment. She has been influenced by many religions,
such as Buddhism and Judaism, but now considers herself part of
the Catholic order. Dillard has continued to produce well-received works,
including an autobiography, An American Childhood, a book of poetry,
Tickets for a Prayer Wheel, and fiction, The Maytrees and many others.


Here is a video on Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, that I thought was very interesting.