Essays about essays
One of the more interesting panels at last week’s bookfest was on The Art of the Essay. Several distinguished essayists talked about what distinguished their work, where it came from, and where it went.
They talked about emotion, and one questioner asked if it was possible to write an essay without emotion. For once I had a quick answer -- unfortunately I was in the audience, not on the panel! "Sure," I wanted to say, "it’s called journalism." To me emotion is what distinguishes a good essay from a bland, striving-for-impartial "journalistic analysis."
In response to another question, literature professor Stewart Justman argued that the op-ed was not a viable form of the essay, because it was so short that it was like trying to express something on a license plate. I've worked in the op-ed format a lot, mainly because the market dictates it -- but I must admit, essays now tend to form in my mind at about 700 words. Bill O'Reilly may not capitalize on it, but I do think the 700-word essay is viable.
My favorite panelist was Chuck Palahniuk. (His written products, such as the book that became the movie "Fight Club," give him a reputation as a wild man. But talking about the technique of writing, he’s incredibly thoughtful, and very astute.) With a series of anecdotes, he made the point that he generally approaches essays from… a series of anecdotes. I think that's where my best stuff comes from too.
Join the discussion at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/johnclaytonoutreach/
They talked about emotion, and one questioner asked if it was possible to write an essay without emotion. For once I had a quick answer -- unfortunately I was in the audience, not on the panel! "Sure," I wanted to say, "it’s called journalism." To me emotion is what distinguishes a good essay from a bland, striving-for-impartial "journalistic analysis."
In response to another question, literature professor Stewart Justman argued that the op-ed was not a viable form of the essay, because it was so short that it was like trying to express something on a license plate. I've worked in the op-ed format a lot, mainly because the market dictates it -- but I must admit, essays now tend to form in my mind at about 700 words. Bill O'Reilly may not capitalize on it, but I do think the 700-word essay is viable.
My favorite panelist was Chuck Palahniuk. (His written products, such as the book that became the movie "Fight Club," give him a reputation as a wild man. But talking about the technique of writing, he’s incredibly thoughtful, and very astute.) With a series of anecdotes, he made the point that he generally approaches essays from… a series of anecdotes. I think that's where my best stuff comes from too.
Join the discussion at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/johnclaytonoutreach/
