This is a compilation of accounts regarding a diverse range of subjects that are of moderate interest. However, none of these topics are delved into deeply or with great passion.

We have the origin of sand, the forms of clouds, and the painstaking excavation of thousands of life-sized clay soldiers buried beneath centuries of accumulated earth and sand in China.

There is also the journey of the French archaeologist, Teilhard de Chardin, who is renowned for uncovering the remains of the original Peking Man in the Mongolian desert.

The philosophical musings of Hassidic Jewish scholars in Jerusalem and eastern Europe are included as well.

Moreover, we get a glimpse into the day of an obstetric nurse, Ms. Eisberg, who efficiently cleans newborn babies in a modern obstetrical ward, treating them like machine parts on an assembly line, devoid of any emotion towards these infants who were just moments ago taken from the warmth and safety of the womb and thrust into the antiseptic rituals of a modern hospital.

Perhaps the most perplexing of these narratives are the descriptions of various birth defects, or "human malformations" as they are scientifically termed, which the author details clinically without showing any compassion for the unfortunate sufferers.

Evidently, there is some sort of connection among these seemingly disparate topics. They all pertain to the origin of life on earth and the place of humanity in the grand scheme of things. Life persists, and our generation is no different from previous generations, who, according to the author, all believed that there was something extraordinary and unique about their own generation's experiences that set them apart from those before and after.

To me, this book seems like the work of an author who is grappling with writer's block. Whether due to laziness or a lack of creative inspiration for her next book, she has gathered a hodgepodge of discarded notes from past projects, thrown them all together, and hopes that some tenuous connection will bind them into a coherent whole for the reader.

This was my initial encounter with the work of Annie Dillard. Hopefully, this is not one of her finer works.

This is the March 2021 selection of South Austin Spiritual Book Group.

It was truly a challenging read to get through. However, approximately three-quarters of the way into it, I started to latch onto a few concepts and names. This made it marginally easier for me to persevere. The book functions in a manner similar to an abstract painting. It presents both grand ideas and minute details, almost as if it is testing which of them will have an impact and stick in the reader's mind.

It requires a great deal of concentration and perhaps multiple readings to fully grasp the depth and complexity of the content. But despite the initial difficulties, there are nuggets of wisdom and interesting perspectives that begin to emerge as one delves deeper into the text.

Overall, it is a thought-provoking and engaging read that challenges the reader to expand their thinking and consider new ideas.

This piece is truly a difficult one to classify.

It leans more towards meditation rather than being a pure work of history. However, it can't be considered a novel either as it isn't fictional nor does it follow a linear narrative.

During my college days, I was often tasked with writing "reflection" essays on specific topics, and this work by Annie Dillard strongly reminds me of those.

It contains her profound reflections on religion, mortality, and the passage of time.

I'm glad that I took the time to read it.

Yet, I find myself in a bit of a quandary when it comes to recommending it to a friend.

I'm not entirely sure if I should or even how I could go about doing so.

Perhaps it would depend on the friend's interests and their openness to exploring deep and thought-provoking themes.

Overall, it's a unique and engaging read that leaves a lasting impression.

I rarely reread books, but Annie Dillard is my 'go to' author.

'Pilgrim at Tinker Creek' has long been my favorite book. It's my Boundary Waters book, the one I return to when I need to find a center or a firm foothold in the mystical and natural.

It's a wonderful paradox that a writer can be grounded in both the mystic/spiritual/'religious' world of the seeker and the natural/fact-based/scientific world of the seer. But perhaps it's not so strange. Truth is full of paradoxes.

Like 'Pilgrim at Tinker Creek', 'For the Time Being' is hard to categorize and 'heady', yet not heavy. The central theme is existence, our necessary significance and our relative insignificance. We stand on the shoulders of a billion giants and the loam of billions of years, and our time here is just a blip.

She draws heavily from archeology, paleontology, ascetic religious traditions, and mystical teachings. It's a trip definitely worth taking, and you might even be better for it. I highly, highly recommend it. But then, I highly recommend anything she writes!

The topic really polarized some of my religion class. There were those who firmly believed in one perspective, while others held an entirely different view. The discussions became intense and passionate, with each side presenting their arguments vigorously.

It was a truly eye-opening experience to see the diverse range of opinions within the class. However, what really struck me was how deeply the topic affected me emotionally. It made me cry in said religion class.

The power of the subject matter and the intensity of the emotions it evoked were overwhelming. It made me realize the profound impact that religion can have on people's lives and beliefs.

Despite the differences in opinions, I believe that this experience has ultimately brought our class closer together. It has forced us to confront our own beliefs and understand the perspectives of others.

It has been a valuable learning experience that I will not soon forget.

I will NEVER ever forget parts of this book.

It is truly just beautiful.

The words seem to dance on the page, painting vivid pictures in my mind.

The story unfolds like a magical tapestry, weaving together emotions and experiences that touch the very core of my being.

Each character is so well-developed, with their own unique personalities and struggles.

I find myself completely immersed in their world, sharing in their joys and sorrows.

The author's writing style is captivating, drawing me in from the very first sentence and holding my attention until the very end.

This book is not just a story, it is a work of art that will stay with me forever.

I highly recommend it to anyone who loves a good read.

This is definitely an odd book, one that I might summarize as follows:

“What are we here for? What are the others here for? And why, God, why?”

Though I believe the most prominent emotion is one of nearly calm acceptance and an awareness of the layers of time, along with the pursuit of moments of transcendence within the evil and the ordinary of each day.

I think. But don't quote me on that.

As is typical, the most wonderful aspect of reading Annie Dillard is Annie Dillard's voice.

There is a sense that you might soar with her and her heroes to lofty philosophical, spiritual, and theoretical heights.

However, at the same time, you are firmly grounded in reality, sharing a cigarette with a shopkeeper or observing a nurse washing newborn babies.

It always seems as if she makes a statement and then searches for a way to disprove that statement.

But the struggle of her most intense thinking is never difficult to read.

Annie Dillard is a remarkable essayist, and her greatest talent lies in her ability to notice the smallest details.

This book of essays is ingeniously structured. She deftly weaves together several strands of thought that seem to almost touch, until in the middle of the book, she begins to blend their waters. These strands encompass a wide range of topics, including strange human birth defects, China, the history of sand, Teilhard, the Hassidim, and several profound questions about life and death.

The book is filled with wonder and curiosity. However, I found that I didn't enjoy it as much as her other works, such as Pilgrim At Tinker Creek. Nevertheless, one aspect of this book that I truly appreciated is her fearless engagement with some extremely difficult questions regarding our stance towards death and the value of life. She seizes hold of these questions with the tenacity of a pit bull and refuses to let go until she has shaken them vigorously enough to either make the reader turn away or live differently.

Overall, while this book may not be my favorite of Dillard's, it still offers valuable insights and thought-provoking discussions.

I truly appreciated a great many of the philosophical musings that were presented within the pages of this book.

It delved deep into questions and evoked powerful feelings regarding mortality, as well as what it truly means to be human in all aspects.

I cannot claim that it is my absolute favorite work of Annie Dillard's. Perhaps this is because, at times, it has a somewhat depressing tone.

Moreover, it contains a couple of rather gruesome bits that pertain to death and even murder.

Spiritually speaking, it also seemed to be a bit scattered, at least when compared to some of her other writings.

However, the sections on the Jewish rabbis and the concept of blessings were indeed quite interesting.

And I greatly appreciated the look into Teilhard de Chardin's life.

As a result, I have decided that I shall have to read more of his works in the future.

This book, despite its flaws, has still managed to leave a lasting impression on me and has sparked my curiosity in various new directions.

I have a deep affection for her.

Her presence always brings a certain warmth and charm into my life.

However, this particular situation or instance didn't quite have the expected impact on me.

Maybe it was the way things unfolded or the circumstances surrounding it.

But despite that, my love for her remains unchanged.

I still find myself drawn to her and thinking about her often.

I believe that there will be other opportunities or moments that will truly touch my heart and make everything feel right again.

For now, I'll continue to hold onto my feelings and see where this journey takes us.

The article is incredibly well-written, demonstrating jaw-dropping scholarship. It is truly a remarkable piece of work. However, it loses a point for its attempt to be funny. The author seems to have sacrificed some of the seriousness and depth of the content in an effort to add a touch of humor.

You're brilliant, Dillard: that's enough. There is no need to try to be something you're not. Your writing speaks for itself, and it is clear that you have a great deal of talent and knowledge. Let your work shine through without the need for unnecessary gimmicks.

Overall, the article is still a great read, and it is sure to be of interest to anyone who is interested in the subject matter. The author's scholarship is evident throughout, and the writing is engaging and thought-provoking. Despite the small flaw, it is a worthwhile contribution to the field.

What a remarkable journey this was! There were moments when I had to exert every ounce of my concentration to truly understand the text, while at other times, the words seemed to wash right over me. “Vivid, eloquent, and haunting” – this description is absolutely spot-on! The way Dillard delves into the most minute details, such as the wisps of clouds on a particular day at an exact time or the chemical composition of a single grain of sand, revealing some greater, universal curiosity, is both dizzying and astounding. It is also strangely consoling.

Low key, the structure of this book seems to be catering to an ADHD brain in the best possible way. Maybe that's another reason why it felt so comforting. Love it!

“We know we must yield, if only intellectually. Okay, we're a lousy snowflake. Okay, we're a tree. These dead loved ones we mourn were only those brown lower branches a tree shades and kills as it grows; the tree itself is thriving. But what kind of tree are we growing here, that could be worth such waste and pain? For each of us loses all we love, everyone we love. We grieve and leave. What marvels shall these future whizzes, damn their eyes, accomplish?”

“Doubt and dedication often go hand in hand. And ‘faith,’ crucially, is not assenting intellectually to a series of doctrinal propositions; it is living in conscious and rededicated relationship to God. Nevertheless, the temptation to profess creeds with uncrossed fingers is strong. Teilhard possessed, like many spiritual thinkers, a sort of anaerobic capacity to batten and thrive on paradox.”

“We are earth's organs and limbs; we are syllables God utters from his mouth.”

“God is spirit, spirit expressed infinitely in the universe, who does not give as the world gives. His home is absence, and there he finds us. In the coils of absence we meet him by seeking him. God lifts our souls to their roots in his silence.

Natural materials clash and replicate, shaping our fates. We lose the people we love, we lose our vigor, and we lose our lives. Perhaps, and at best, God knows nothing of these temporal accidents, but knows souls only. This God does not direct the universe, he underlies it. Or he ‘prolongs himself’ into it, in Teilhard's terms. Or in dear nutcase Joel Goldsmith's terms, God is the universe's consciousness. The consciousness of divinity is divinity itself. The more we wake to holiness, the more of it we give birth to, the more we introduce, expand, and multiply it on earth, the more God is ‘on the field.’”

“Life’s cruelty joins the world's beauty and our sense of God's presence to demonstrate who we're dealing with, if dealing we are: God immanent and transcendent, God discernible but unknowable, God beside us and wholly alien.

How this proves his mercy I don't understand.”

“As Martin Buber saw it – writing at his best near the turn of the last century – the world of ordinary days ‘affords’ us that precise association with God that redeems both us and our speck of world. God entrusts and allots to everyone an area to redeem: this creased and feeble life, ‘the world in you live, just as it is and not otherwise.’”