Public appearances


Most of the events listed here were readings followed by a question and answer session. This list is currently as close to comprehensive as possible, but additions are welcomed.


December 2, 1973, 3:30 p.m. - Friends of the Library, Richmond Public Library (auditorium of the Main Library)

February 26, 1975, 8 p.m. - International Poetry Forum (Pittsburgh, Carnegie Lecture Hall)

July 12, 1975, morning - Thoreau Society Annual Meeting (Concord, MA) [speech canceled]

November 7, 1975, 7:30 p.m. - Fairhaven Auditorium (Fairhaven College)

November 17, 1975, 7:30 p.m. - Question session, Wilson Library Presentation Room (Western Washington State College)

December 3, 1976, 8 p.m. - Fairhaven Auditorium (Fairhaven College)

April 6, 1978 - Arts and Sciences Faculty Lecture Series (Western Washington University)

June 9, 1978 - Fairhaven College graduation address

June 14-21, 1978 - Fiction International Writers' Conference, St. Lawrence University (Saranac Lake, NY)

February 13, 1980, 8 p.m. - Russell House (Honors College, Wesleyan University)

April 9, 1981, 8 p.m. - List Auditorium (Brown University)

1981 (before September) - Amherst

September 1982 - Chinese writers conference (UCLA)

November 19, 1982 - The Boston Globe Book Festival

[In 1982 or 1983, she also gave readings in New York at Endicott Booksellers and in Connecticut at Wesleyan University.]

February 17, 1983, 7:30 p.m. - Murray-Dodge lobby, Princeton University

March 16, 1983, 8 p.m. - Writer’s Workshop portion of the Fine Arts Festival (Memorial Hall, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)

March 21, 1983, 3:45 p.m. - 113 Tompkins Hall (North Carolina State University, Raleigh)

April 7-9, 1983 - Associated Writing Programs annual convention, nonfiction panel and keynote address (Marriott Pavilion Hotel, St Louis)

June 7, 1983 - delivered an address (a chapter of Encounters with Chinese Writers) at the Phi Beta Kappa literary commencement exercises (Harvard/Radcliffe)

November 3, 1983, 2 p.m. - "Annie Dillard Reading," Tucker-Boatwright Festival at the University of Richmond (Keller Hall Reception Room)
[She also chaired a fiction panel on this or the next day]

November 4, 1983, 2 p.m. - "Ask the Authors" panel with John Updike and Larry McMurty, Tucker-Boatwright Festival at the University of Richmond

October 22, 1984 - Hilles Library Cinema (Harvard; sponsored by the Woodberry Poetry Room)

December 3, 1984, 8 p.m. - Coolidge Auditorium, Library of Congress (First Street and Independence Avenue SE)

February 5, 1985 - Academy of American Poets (Donnell Library Center, Manhattan)

March 1985 - Kalliope annual meeting (at Florida Community College, Jacksonville, FL) [I don't have an exact date yet.]

March 30, 1985, 7:30 p.m. - keynote, University of Pittsburgh Writers Conference

March 31, 1985, 2-4 p.m. - "David McCullough/Annie Dillard: One on One" (moderated by Mary Briscoe), University of Pittsburgh Writers Conference

[In 1985 or 1986, she also gave a reading at a joint Master's Tea hosted by Yale Calhoun College and Stillman College. I don't have an exact date yet.]

February 25, 1986, 6 p.m. - The Art and Craft of Memoir (New York Public Library, room 206)

October 23, 1986, 5:30 p.m. - International Festival of Authors, "Boundaries Of Fiction" panel (Toronto)

October 24, 1986, 8 p.m. - International Festival of Authors (Toronto)

November (the weekend of the 15th), 1986 - Hollins Creative Writing Reunion

[In 1986 or 1987, she also gave a reading at Oberlin College and an address at a Reality Club meeting at the New York Academy of Sciences.]

July 24, 1987, 8:30 - Bennington Writing Workshops

November 16, 1987, 6 p.m. - Boston Globe Book Festival (Boston Public Library at Copley Square)

December 4, 1987, 8 p.m. - PEN/Faulkner Reading (Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 East Capitol St. SE )

October 25, 1988, 6:30 p.m. - The New-York Historical Society (in conjunction with the retrospective exhibition "Arnold Newman: Five Decades")

January 13, 1989, 10:30 a.m. - Colorado College Symposium on intimacy (Packard Hall)

March 29, 1989 - On Art & Politics series (City Arts & Lectures, San Francisco)

March 30, 1989 - Portland Arts & Lectures series (First Congregational Church)

May 1, 1989, 8 p.m. - Manhattan Theatre Club (City Center, 131 W. 55th St.)

September 21, 1989 - introducer for Jane Kenyon's reading at Wesleyan University

September 26, 1989, 4 p.m. - Brigham Young University

October 30, 1989 - PEN/Faulkner Award celebration (Washington, D.C., Folger Shakespeare Library); one of seventeen authors to speak about their beginnings as writers

December 4, 1989, 8 p.m. - Poetry Center of the 92nd Street Y (New York)

March 8, 1991, 7:30 p.m. - "An Evening with Annie Dillard: Selected Readings and Discussion," Falmouth Forum Series (Lillie Auditorium, Marine Biological Laboratory, MBL Street, Woods Hole, MA)

September 16, 1991, 7 p.m. - Three Rivers Lecture Series (Fulton Theatre, Pittsburgh); also called the Drue Heinz Lectures

April 25, 1992 - Pacifica Graduate Institute conference (Miramar Hotel, Santa Monica)

April 28 1992, 7:30 p.m. - Seattle Arts & Lectures (First United Methodist Church)

April 30, 1992 - City Arts & Lectures (Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco)

May 4, 1992, 7:30 p.m. - "An Evening with Annie Dillard," Portland Arts & Lectures series (First Congregational Church)

May 13, 1992, 6:30 p.m. - The New-York Historical Society

October 24, 1992, 9 p.m. - International Festival (Toronto, Premiere Dance Theatre)

November 18, 1992, 6 p.m. - Voices Louder Than Words: A Benefit for the Homeless (Sanders Theatre, Harvard Square)

September 21, 1993, 4 p.m. - University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, Rackham Amphitheater)

October 9, 1993, 7:30 p.m. - San Antonio Inter-American Bookfair and Literary Festival (San Antonio, Guadalupe Theater)

March 29, 1994, 8 p.m. - Stieren Arts Enrichment Series, Trinity University (San Antonio, Laurie Auditorium)

November 2, 1994, 8 p.m. - Other Voices / Literary Evenings Series (Columbia University, Miller Theatre)

November 11, 1994, 8 p.m. - "Spanning the Gap," Writing and Arts Festival (Wichita, Milton Center)

February 1, 1995, 7:30 p.m. - Morgan Writer-in-Residence Program (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Memorial Hall)

November 13, 1995, 8 p.m. - 92nd Street Y (New York)

January 11, 1996, 7:30 p.m. - "John Hersey Memorial Lecture," American Writers and the Natural World: Key West Literary Seminar

April 13, 1996, 7:30 p.m. - "Personal Readings," the Wiersma Memorial Lecture in Heritage Hall at the Calvin College Conference on Faith & Writing

September 19, 1996, 8 p.m. - Lowell Lectures (Boston College, Robsham Theater)

October 3, 1996, 4:30 p.m. - featured guest at a tea (Yale, the Calhoun College master's house, 434 College St.)

October 19, 1996, 12:30 p.m. - “Remarks on Writing,” “A Celebration of Wesleyan Writing” symposium (Wesleyan University)

February 7, 1997, 7 p.m. - New York University (D'Agostino Hall, 108 West Third Street, Greenwich Village)

late spring 1997 - ground-breaking ceremony for Wyndham Robertson Library (Hollins College)

October 10, 1997, 6:30 p.m. - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Friends of the Library (Grand Ballroom, Carolina Inn)

March 10, 1998, 8 p.m. - Flinn Foundation Centennial Lecture (Arizona State University, Armstrong Hall at the College of Law)

April 4, 1998, 4 p.m. - North Carolina Literary Festival: A Celebration of Southern Writers and Readers (Hamilton 100)

April 25, 1998, 4 p.m. - Center for the Arts Cinema, Wesleyan University

April 29, 1999, 8 p.m. - City Arts & Lectures (Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco)

May 10, 1999, 8 p.m. - 92nd Street Y (New York)

October 28, 1999, 7 p.m. - International Festival of Authors (Toronto, Lakeside Terrace)

October 29, 1999, 8:30 p.m. - International Festival of Authors (Toronto, Brigantine Room)

May 25, 2000 - Harper's Magazine 150th Anniversary (The New School Auditorium, New York)

October 24, 2000, 7:30 p.m. - An Evening With Great Writers (Hillsborough's Orange High School Auditorium)

February 20, 2001, 8 p.m. - The Margarett Root Brown Houston Reading Series, sponsored by Inprint Inc. and the University of Houston Creative Writing Program (Moores Opera House, University of Houston)

September 29, 2001, 7:30 p.m. - Fall Arts Festival (Provincetown)

November 4, 2001, 10-11 a.m. - Chicago Tribune Lecture (Armour Stage, Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan)

August 12, 2005, 8 p.m. - "A Little Reading and a Hilarious Conversation with Annie Dillard," Fine Arts Work Center (Provincetown)

October 4, 2006 - Eugene Lang College The New School for Liberal Arts, Wollman Hall

January 18, 2008, 11:05–11:30 a.m. - In Conversation with Jake Silverstein: Key West Literary Seminar. (She introduced him, briefly.)