Book Review: For the Time Being by Annie Dillard
Reviewing Annie Dillard’s For the Time Being | Specific Abstractions
Annie Dillard’s For the Time Being has been sitting atop my bookshelf for too long, so I was excited to finally read this book; she did not disappoint.
After reading only two chapters, I wrote in my notes of the book, “Dillard seems to use very specific abstractions to express her points. I’m not sure how to explain this yet, but that phrase, specific abstractions, keeps coming to mind as I read her book.”
That feeling didn’t leave through the very last page and after, even as I write this book review. However, I believe I might be able to explain the phenomenon now having read the entire thing, and in remembering Dillard’s other works I’ve read.
She captures so eloquently the human experience, which is specific in that it is human and abstract in that we humans often don’t know what that means.
“The human experience: specific in that it is human and abstract in that we humans often don’t know what that means.”
Often I read with a pencil in hand, and often I read aloud, and often I stop after a sentence and breathe a “hmm” and scribble a line under that sentence. You know, like a pretentious little writer. With Dillard, it was hard not to scribble under the entire book.
For the Time Being is a Braided Essay
The book is written in a grand braid as Dillard weaves narratives of herself reading a book about human malformation, of a paleontologist in the Gobi Desert, of the history of sand, of the dating of clouds, and of thousands of Chinese peasants and soldiers fixed forever in terra-cotta. She weaves these through-strands so seemingly effortlessly into a specific abstraction of human experience, poignantly showcasing our utter smallness and complete worth at the same time. For the Time Being is a brilliant study in the mechanics and effects of a braided essay.
I noticed she achieved much of this “seemingly effortless” way of tying everything together by her use of space. While she utilizes chapters to section her book, she also uses extra spaces between paragraphs that don’t necessarily go together, but connect in the grand scheme.
Analyzing the Braid | Using Space & Formatting in Writing
For example, on pages 48-50, she splits off into a new section called “Numbers.” She begins this section with a personal anecdote, showing off her daughter’s cuteness by quoting how she could imagine 138,000 people drowning at once. A strange detail that makes sense in context.
From here, a new paragraph begins farther down on the page to indicate that this section falls under “Numbers” but is not a continuation of her anecdote, though the two are related. This new paragraph begins an explanation of the ratio of dead to living souls that have entered the earth; here Dillard delivers a haunting line that echoes throughout the book: “The dead will always outnumber the living.”
From here, another section breaks off again, and Dillard quotes Juan Rulfo with a correspondingly haunting line, “Just think about pleasant things, because we’re going to be buried for a long time.”
Analyzing the Braid | Using Quotes Effectively in Essay
Much of Dillard’s book is structured this way and I can’t help but notice the genius in it, especially as a fellow lover of quotes myself. I tend to overuse quotes in my creative writing; I’m a firm believer in “stealing the right way.” If someone else can say something better than me, why not let them say it?
But then I’m lost on the piece - there’s no Kayley, only voices Kayley likes. I remove both myself and the reader from the experience of my writing, as the piece becomes an echo of someone else’s piece, void of any new substance. I’m working on it.
In contrast, Dillard’s use of quotes is always insightful and purposeful; she doesn’t let the quote do the work for her, something I’m highly guilty of in my own writing. Rather, her own writing is highlighted by the quote, and in turn, she brings the quote alive with her own commentary, her own words. Her own voice connects directly with the reader and the quote echoes her voice rather than Dillard simply echoing another. It’s powerful.
I noticed it immediately the first time she used a quote in this way and paid close attention to it throughout her book.
“Dillard’s use of quotes is always insightful and purposeful; she doesn’t let the quote do the work for her.”
Applying Annie Dillard’s Methods in My Own Writing
In reading For the Time Being, I was reminded of a challenge posed to me by my writing mentor to limit my use of quotes.
I thought a good revision exercise would be to go back through some of my older essays, essays I assume to be finished, and break down my use of quotes. I want to practice what Dillard does so well and explore ways in which quotes can add to and highlight rather than replace my own writing. This will most likely be an exercise I use solely in the revision process, but I am excited to use what I’ve learned from Dillard.
Overall, I highly recommend For the Time Being by Annie Dillard, both as a work of art and as a challenge for writers and creators. I won’t give too much more away, but her exploration of the human condition in defining worth is masterful.
Is there a book you felt challenged by in your writing or art? I’d love to read it next!
