The Writing Life

“For nonwriters, it is a glimpse into the trials and satisfactions of a life spent with words. For writers, it is a warm, rambling, conversation with a stimulating and extraordinarily talented colleague.” — Chicago Tribune

From Pulitzer Prize-winning Annie Dillard, a collection of essays on writing that illuminates the dedication and daring that characterizes a writer’s life.

In these short essays, Annie Dillard—the author of Pilgrim at Tinker Creek and An American Childhood—illuminates the dedication, absurdity, and daring that characterize the existence of a writer. A moving account of Dillard’s own experiences with the creative process while writing her works, The Writing Life offers deep insight into one of the most mysterious professions.

With profound insight and startling imagery, this essential work of literary nonfiction confronts the paradoxes of a writer’s work.

• The Writer’s Discipline: Dillard explores the daily commitment required to face the blank page, from the practical necessity of a schedule to the metaphysical terror of a single sentence.
• Artistic Sacrifice: Learn why the part a writer must often jettison is not only the best-written, but the very passage that was to have been the point.
• A Philosophy of Writing: Through unforgettable metaphors—from a stunt pilot carving the air to a typewriter erupting in flames—Dillard builds a powerful case for what it means to live a life in words.
• Inspiration for Writers: A profound and deeply honest companion for anyone who has wrestled with the absurd, noble, and necessary task of making art.