Pilgrim at Tinker Creek is a 1974 nonfiction narrative book by American
author Annie Dillard. Told from a first-person point of view, the book
details an unnamed narrator's explorations near her home, and
contemplations on nature and life. The title refers to Tinker Creek,
which is outside Roanoke in Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains. Dillard
began writing Pilgrim in the spring of 1973, using her personal journals
as inspiration. Separated into four sections that signify each of the
seasons, the narrative spans the period of one year in thoughts on
solitude, writing, and religion, as well as scientific observations on
the flora and fauna. Touching upon themes of faith, nature, and
awareness, Pilgrim is also noted for its study of theodicy and the
inherent cruelty of the natural world. The book is analogous in design
and genre to Henry David Thoreau's Walden, the subject of Dillard's
master's thesis at Hollins College. Pilgrim has been lauded by critics,
won the 1975 Pulitzer Prize for General Non-fiction, and in 1999 was
included in Modern Library's list of 100 Best Nonfiction Books.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilgrim_at_Tinker_Creek>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1716:
French soldier Jean Thurel enlisted in the Régiment de
Touraine at the age of 17, beginning a career of military service that
would span 90 years.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Thurel>
1849:
American slave Harriet Tubman escaped; she would become famous
for orchestrating the rescues of more than 70 other slaves via the
"Underground Railroad".
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harriet_Tubman>
1976:
Enterprise, the first Space Shuttle built for NASA, was rolled
out of the manufacturing facilities in Palmdale, California.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle_Enterprise>
1980:
The Polish trade union Solidarity was founded as the first
independent labor union in a Soviet-bloc country.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Solidarity>
2006:
Mass protests across Hungary erupted after Prime Minister
Ferenc Gyurcsány's private speech was leaked to the public, in which he
admitted that the Hungarian Socialist Party had lied to win the 2006
election.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_protests_in_Hungary>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
rapine:
The seizure of someone's property by force; plunder.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/rapine>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
You have to laugh at the things that hurt you just to keep yourself in
balance, just to keep the world from running you plumb crazy.
--Ken Kesey
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ken_Kesey>