annie dillard

“ Putting a book together is interesting and exhilarating. ”

“ Thoreau said that his firewood warmed him twicebecause he labored to cut his own. Mine froze me twice, for the same reason. ”

“ I'm a housewife: I spend far more time on housework than anything else. ”

“ Adverbs are a sign that youve used the wrong verb. ”

“ Evolution loves death more than it loves you or me. ”

“ The surest sign of age is loneliness. ”

“ What we do with this hour, and that one, is what we are doing. A schedule defends from chaos and whim. It is a net for catching days. ”

“ Something completely necessary [in your writing] is false or fatal. Once you find it, and if you can accept the finding, of course it will mean starting again. This is why many experienced writers urge young men and women to learn a useful trade. ”

“ These things fill from behind, from beneath, like well water. ”

“ You cant test courage cautiously. ”