Essay Craft

On the essay as a literary form — its possibilities, its constraints, the specific decisions that distinguish considered essays from competent ones.

3 articles

On the Quiet Discipline of Writing About Subjects You Do Not Yet Understand

Some of the most useful writing happens when writers attempt subjects they do not yet understand. The discipline required is specific. The…

The advice to "read like a writer" is widely repeated in writing instruction. The standard interpretation of the advice misses what actually…

The essay form looks accessible because most readers can recognize a good essay and many readers can produce a competent one. The…