As I Recall

The collection is divided into two parts: part one, consisting of short stories drawn from Dillard's life; and part two, presenting his poetry. In both, he captures the essence of the important and interesting experiences of his life thus far. His imagery and tone are clear in the following excerpt from a longer poem about his father:

When We Were Young

He left for work each morning,
Wearing steel-toed boots and a tin hat.
He took long strides that were three times
The length of mine.
In one hand he carried a lunch pail and a thermos.
The other hand was empty,
Like his wallet.
Bye-Bye Daddy ...