09/16/2026
Thirty-five years ago today, on September 16, 1991, Pittsburgh native Annie Dillard took the stage at the Fulton Theater—now the Byham Theater—as the very first speaker in what would become Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures.
A few hundred tickets had been sold in advance. By showtime, the line stretched down the block and a standing-room-only crowd of more than 1,300 had filled the theater to welcome Dillard home. Contemporary coverage described a rousing beginning to the new series, with Dillard reading from "An American Childhood" and her then-forthcoming novel "The Living," answering questions and reflecting on the city that had helped shape her life and writing.
Dillard grew up in Point Breeze, attended The Ellis School and immortalized her Pittsburgh childhood in her 1987 memoir "An American Childhood." A naturalist, essayist, novelist and poet, she received the Pulitzer Prize for "Pilgrim at Tinker Creek" and became one of the most singular voices in American letters.
“Annie was thrilled with the evening, as was everyone in attendance, and that began a long journey that remarkably continues 35 years later,” remembers Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures founder Dennis Ciccone. “Annie Dillard was a good omen of things to come. News of her passing is a sad day for Pittsburgh and the literary community.”
For us, it is difficult to imagine a more meaningful beginning. Annie Dillard helped open the door to 35 years of writers, readers and unforgettable conversations in Pittsburgh.
Today, we remember the writer, the Pittsburgher and the person who stood on our stage first. We are deeply grateful that our story began with hers.
Our hearts are with her family, friends and the generations of readers and writers changed by her work.
