Crafting the Personal Essay

by Moore, Dinty W.

• ISBN13: 9781582977966
• ISBN10: 1582977968
• eBook ISBN(s): 9781599632001
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-09-08
• Publisher: Penguin Random House
• More Book Details

Summary

The personal essay, of course, stems from the ?personal? thoughts and experiences of the writer, but ultimately the essay (like all literary writing) must transcend the merely private to become universal. How is this done? Step one is finding a measure of distance from your experience; learning to stand back, narrow your eyes, and scrutinize your own life with a dose of healthy skepticism. Step two is learning to separate what is powerful only to you from what might be fresh, surprising, instructive, or just plain fascinating to a reader. This book shows you how to write nine different types of personal essays, including: the Contemplative Essay; the Memoir Essay; the Lyric Essay; the Nature Essay; the Travel Essay; the Spiritual Essay; the Gastronomical Essay; the Humor Essay; and the Epistolary (Letter-Writing) Essay. In addition, the book features examples from various essay types, instructional exercises, techniques for revising, and information on where and how to publish finished essays.

Author Biography

Dinty W. Moore's essays and stories have appeared in numerous publications including The Southern Review, The Georgia Review, Harpers, and Utne Reader. His books include Between panic Desire, The Accidental Buddhist, Toothpick Men, The Emperor's Virtual Clothes, and The Truth of the Matter: Art and Craft in Creative Nonfiction.

Table of Contents

Introduction: The Personal Essay, Here and Now	p. 1
Writing The Essay
The Gentle Art of the Personal Essay	p. 4
The Personal (Not Private) Essay	p. 7
Writing the Memoir Essay	p. 26
The Woolf and the Moth	p. 38
Writing the Contemplative Essay	p. 51
A Closer Look: "Leisure," by Agnes Repplier	p. 59
Pursuing Mental Rabbits	p. 75
Writing the Lyric Essay	p. 92
Of Conflict	p. 99
A Closer Look: "Ah Wilderness!"	p. 113
Writing the Spiritual Essay	p. 132
Who Am I Today?	p. 139
Writing the Gastronomical Essay	p. 152
Writing the Humorous Essay	p. 159
A Closer Look: "Pulling Teeth,"	p. 166
Write What you Wish you Knew	p. 172
Writing the Nature Essay	p. 186
Writing the Travel Essay	p. 193
Reaching Readers
On a Regular Writing Routine	p. 200
Blogging and the Essay	p. 208
Red Light, Green Light: Tips for Conquering Writer's Block	p. 214
On Becoming an Excellent Rewriter	p. 219
On Publication, Rejection, and Being Stubborn	p. 226
"Of Idle People who Rove About"	p. 234
Recommended Readings for Writers	p. 245
Web Sites for Essay Writers	p. 251
Permissions	p. 256
Index	p. 258
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