"And of Clay Are We Created" is a short story written by Isabel Allende. It was first published in 1989 and tells the story of a young girl, Azucena, who is trapped in a mudslide and is unable to escape. A reporter, Rolf Carlé, tries to help her but is unable to do so. In writing this story, Allende was inspired by a real volcanic eruption that occurred in Colombia in 1985.

It is important to note that "And of Clay We Are Created" is written from a first-person perspective. Over the course of the story, the reader finds out that the first-person narrator is in a romantic relationship with Rolf. We can see that, for example, in the following passage:

This is one of the reasons why it is so difficult for the narrator to watch the events on television, as she is not worried about just anyone—she is worried about her partner. She can empathize with him and feels the anguish and desperation that she knows Rolf must be feeling at the time, and she is unable to do anything to help him in his quest to save the girl's life.

The narrator tells us that she had "the horrible sensation that Azucena and Rolf were by my side," which clearly shows us that she feels like a part of the unfolding events—but a passive part, a part that is unable to do anything but to watch helplessly.