Saturday Memory for September 19, 2026
September
19
Back in the early 90s, I was part of a large workshop on writing. The presenters were Annie Dillard, Allen Ginsberg, Natalie Goldberg, and myself. I was reminded of this because Annie Dillard died this week. During her presentations, I was transfixed by her voice and the depth of her imagery. I recall feeling that “I could listen to her forever.”
During my early analysis, as I began to spend more and more time in nature, I read Ann Dillard’s books. “Pilgrim at Tinker Creek” became a seminal part of my psychic existence in the 90s, as I walked the woods weekly at Fort Worden in Port Townsend. Her work was soul-penetrating then and still, now, and quietly sank into my skin. Her voice continues to influence my thinking and my nesting into my own inner world and writing. Natalie Goldberg’s writing is like home. Let’s talk about Ginsberg for a million seconds. And a lot about Lockhart. I remember when you participated in that workshop. Part of my own gilded memory bank.
I still vividly remember reading ‘Pilgrim at Tinker Creek’ decades ago, and its lyrical beauty and profound sensitivity struck me deeply. I recall thinking how lucky I was to have discovered that book.