I would change Annie's initial words slightly. I would say: 'I read poems as one would breathe air, to fill up and live'. Then it would capture, for me, so much about how those with a true poetic nature perpetually see themselves in this world, because they are rarely, if ever, driven by a desire for material things. And how perfectly Annie's last line captures this: 'a life spent reading - that is a good life.' I couldn't agree more!
Long ago, my mother told me that when she was a young girl, she spoke her truth in this way, "Books is my friends. I will stick by their sides until I die."
Clearly, my mother lived a good life. Found at her bedside after she died was The Satanic Verses with a bookmark showing where she stopped reading.
I had been slacking and slacking and slacking because of my vision. So I made it a goal to read a list of books by Dec. 31, 2024. I've got 7 books or so read since I started a month ago shooting for over 20 and a few poetry books are on the list to learn this world. Thanks Annie Dillard and Poetic Outlaws for the insights!
I love Annie Dillard's writing and especially, "Pilgrim at Tinker Creek." I didn't know she wrote poetry and it was a happy surprise. Needless to say, since everyone here is tied to words, I've been a book worm since before I could read to myself. Judy Garland once sang that she was "born in a trunk." My song would involve being "born in a book." Thank you for that posting.
Raised by a mother who was a career librarian, I was an ardent reader in my youth. However, over the course of my adult life, I read very little. In retrospect, this was because reading brought me too close to the darkness within. These days, having made peace with my shadow, I've rediscovered the transformative joy in reading--I've already read four novels this month. How wonderfully serendipitous that this poem should fall in my lap today!
Hi good evening to all and peace be upon you all, may God bless you my friends, I may be the youngest person here with you, I am without a doubt, guys, on the number of my age, Al-Saqr, but I see that the older than me has more experience and I need to be convinced, so I decided to ask someone among you who responds to me to talk to me a few videos, how he is not comfortable, but teach me a little about the application because I do not know the reality 💁🫣🤷 Like you, I see you happy and know the application and what you do, where do you enter the application and who do you exit, and I think my deputy, what should I do if it is not a crowd and one of you teaches me a little and increases my experiences from his experiences, if any one of you allows, but it makes a difference and treats me with respect, not me saying only a question and he answers me, are you married or not, you see, I told you because I am young, my small number, I do not allow anyone to touch my dignity and rub against me, God willing, it will be the opposite, I see nothing but respect and interest in education, lessons and friendship, good night my dear friends My eyes are jealous of you, I love you all, bye to all, goodnight
Indeed, I love to sit in my favorite chair and read ... substack post, novels, every the occasional news story, but then nothing gets done. It reminds me of the women in Cold Mountain: the educated woman who reads all day as her farm decays and she has nothing to eat; and the backwoods woman who catches a chicken, breaks its neck, and cooks dinner.
Pilgrim at Tinker Creek is a great nature and spiritual book. I suppose she's engaging in hyperbole here about reading. I do love reading a lot but not being a sedentary or person I love walking and caring for those I love even more.
I find that when I read I invariably jot down notes, phrases and unannounced connections between ideas. I find I can’t just read a book, a poem or a concept without stopping to think about it - how this knowledge might have revealed itself to the writer, what the author did with this insight and how I might apply it in my own work (and life).
I would change Annie's initial words slightly. I would say: 'I read poems as one would breathe air, to fill up and live'. Then it would capture, for me, so much about how those with a true poetic nature perpetually see themselves in this world, because they are rarely, if ever, driven by a desire for material things. And how perfectly Annie's last line captures this: 'a life spent reading - that is a good life.' I couldn't agree more!
Yes! I am manifesting this life now.
Long ago, my mother told me that when she was a young girl, she spoke her truth in this way, "Books is my friends. I will stick by their sides until I die."
Clearly, my mother lived a good life. Found at her bedside after she died was The Satanic Verses with a bookmark showing where she stopped reading.
I had been slacking and slacking and slacking because of my vision. So I made it a goal to read a list of books by Dec. 31, 2024. I've got 7 books or so read since I started a month ago shooting for over 20 and a few poetry books are on the list to learn this world. Thanks Annie Dillard and Poetic Outlaws for the insights!
I love Annie Dillard's writing and especially, "Pilgrim at Tinker Creek." I didn't know she wrote poetry and it was a happy surprise. Needless to say, since everyone here is tied to words, I've been a book worm since before I could read to myself. Judy Garland once sang that she was "born in a trunk." My song would involve being "born in a book." Thank you for that posting.
Love this and confirmation of my life well lived. 💝
And a life spent living?
And writing about it?
Raised by a mother who was a career librarian, I was an ardent reader in my youth. However, over the course of my adult life, I read very little. In retrospect, this was because reading brought me too close to the darkness within. These days, having made peace with my shadow, I've rediscovered the transformative joy in reading--I've already read four novels this month. How wonderfully serendipitous that this poem should fall in my lap today!
I love this
Hi good evening to all and peace be upon you all, may God bless you my friends, I may be the youngest person here with you, I am without a doubt, guys, on the number of my age, Al-Saqr, but I see that the older than me has more experience and I need to be convinced, so I decided to ask someone among you who responds to me to talk to me a few videos, how he is not comfortable, but teach me a little about the application because I do not know the reality 💁🫣🤷 Like you, I see you happy and know the application and what you do, where do you enter the application and who do you exit, and I think my deputy, what should I do if it is not a crowd and one of you teaches me a little and increases my experiences from his experiences, if any one of you allows, but it makes a difference and treats me with respect, not me saying only a question and he answers me, are you married or not, you see, I told you because I am young, my small number, I do not allow anyone to touch my dignity and rub against me, God willing, it will be the opposite, I see nothing but respect and interest in education, lessons and friendship, good night my dear friends My eyes are jealous of you, I love you all, bye to all, goodnight
And good night to you, MariaM MOHAMED!
May your journey be safe and productive.
Indeed, I love to sit in my favorite chair and read ... substack post, novels, every the occasional news story, but then nothing gets done. It reminds me of the women in Cold Mountain: the educated woman who reads all day as her farm decays and she has nothing to eat; and the backwoods woman who catches a chicken, breaks its neck, and cooks dinner.
Pilgrim at Tinker Creek is a great nature and spiritual book. I suppose she's engaging in hyperbole here about reading. I do love reading a lot but not being a sedentary or person I love walking and caring for those I love even more.
I find that when I read I invariably jot down notes, phrases and unannounced connections between ideas. I find I can’t just read a book, a poem or a concept without stopping to think about it - how this knowledge might have revealed itself to the writer, what the author did with this insight and how I might apply it in my own work (and life).
Love reading but a life in nature is just as profound.
I think that sums it up perfectly💁🏼♀️❤️❤️❤️💯
Yes, I love the first quote by Annie Dillard.
It reminds me of another quote: ""A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one."
― George R.R. Martin
Reminds me of a quote I only learnt of recently : 'Life is a book, and those who don't travel only read one page'.
Loveee that!
oh why can't I read for free? 🥲
libraries exist !!! Libby exists !!