Our family was on the lunatic fringe. My mother was always completely irrepressible. My father made crowd noises into a microphone. Annie Dillard completelycrowdfamily Change image and share on social
The sensation of writing a book is the sensation of spinning, blinded by love and daring. It is the sensation of a stunt pilot's turning barrel rolls, or an inchworm's blind rearing from a stem in search of a route. At its worst, it feels like alligator wrestling, at the level of the sentence. Annie Dillard alligatorbadbarrel share on social
The notion of the infinite variety of detail and the multiplicity of forms is a pleasing one; in complexity are the fringes of beauty, and in variety are generosity and exuberance. Annie Dillard beautycomplexitydetail Change image and share on social
I worked so hard all my life, and all I want to do now is read. Annie Dillard hardliferead Change image and share on social
Crystals grew inside rock like arithmetic flowers. They lengthened and spread, added plane to plane in an awed and perfect obedience to an absolute geometry that even stones - maybe only the stones - understood. Annie Dillard absoluteaddarithmetic share on social
A writer looking for subjects inquires not after what he loves best, but after what he alone loves at all. Annie Dillard inquirelovesubject Change image and share on social
Every book has an intrinsic impossibility, which its writer discovers as soon as his first excitement dwindles. Annie Dillard bookdiscoverdwindle Change image and share on social
Spend the afternoon. You can't take it with you. Annie Dillard afternoonspend Change image and share on social
There is a certain age at which a child looks at you in all earnestness and delivers a long, pleased speech in all the true inflections of spoken English, but with not one recognizable syllable. Annie Dillard agechilddeliver Change image and share on social
At its best, the sensation of writing is that of any unmerited grace. It is handed to you, but only if you look for it. Annie Dillard gracehandsensation Change image and share on social