Essayism

Synopsis

Imagine a type of writing so hard to define its very name means a trial, effort or attempt. An ancient form with an eye on the future, a genre poised between tradition and experiment. The essay wants above all to wander, but also to arrive at symmetry and wholeness; it nurses competing urges to integrity and disarray, perfection and fragmentation, confession and invention.  

  How to write about essays and essayists while staying true to these contradictions? Essayism is a personal, critical and polemical book about the genre, its history and contemporary possibilities. It's an example of what it describes: an essay that is curious and digressive, exacting yet evasive, a form that would instruct, seduce and mystify in equal measure. Among the essayists to whom he pays tribute - from Virginia Woolf to Georges Perec, Joan Didion to Sir Thomas Browne - Brian Dillon discovers a path back into his own life as a reader, and out of melancholia to a new sense of writing as adventure.

Summary

Chapter 1: The Essay as a Genre

* Explores the history and evolution of the essay as a literary form.
* Emphasizes the essay's flexibility and its potential to address a wide range of subjects.
* Real Example: Michel de Montaigne's "Of Cannibals," an early example of an essay that challenges European assumptions about savagery and civilization.

Chapter 2: The Structure of the Essay

* Outlines the basic structure of an essay, including an introduction, body, and conclusion.
* Discusses the importance of transitions, coherence, and unity.
* Real Example: Virginia Woolf's "A Room of One's Own," which uses a chronological structure to explore the relationship between women and writing.

Chapter 3: The Language of the Essay

* Examines the rhetorical devices and literary techniques commonly used in essays.
* Emphasizes the importance of clear and concise language, as well as the use of figurative language to engage the reader.
* Real Example: James Baldwin's "Notes of a Native Son," which employs powerful imagery and symbolism to convey the complexities of racial identity.

Chapter 4: The Argumentative Essay

* Explores the structure and techniques of the argumentative essay.
* Discusses the importance of presenting a clear thesis statement and supporting evidence.
* Real Example: Malcolm X's "The Ballot or the Bullet," an impassioned argument against racial inequality.

Chapter 5: The Personal Essay

* Examines the challenges and rewards of writing personal essays.
* Emphasizes the importance of honesty, vulnerability, and reflection.
* Real Example: Audre Lorde's "The Cancer Journals," which explores her experiences with breast cancer through a deeply personal and introspective lens.

Chapter 6: The Literary Essay

* Discusses the critical analysis of literature in essays.
* Explores the techniques for interpreting literary texts and constructing literary arguments.
* Real Example: Harold Bloom's "Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human," a groundbreaking essay that re-evaluated Shakespeare's legacy.

Chapter 7: The Research Paper

* Outlines the process of writing a research paper.
* Discusses the importance of conducting research, citing sources, and presenting information in a clear and organized manner.
* Real Example: Howard Zinn's "A People's History of the United States," a comprehensive and highly influential work of historical research and analysis.

Chapter 8: The Creative Essay

* Explores the possibilities of the essay as a creative and imaginative form.
* Discusses the use of non-traditional structures, experimental language, and imaginative explorations.
* Real Example: Zadie Smith's "White Teeth," a genre-bending novel that combines the essay form with elements of fiction and memoir.