A review by lelandbuck
Essayism by Brian Dillon

5.0

Reading books about writing can be a perilous activity. Writing about writing so often reduces the essential qualities of form and style to grammatical minutiae, or worse, elevates them to some mystical and impenetrable rite. We are fed promises and formulas, rules and best practices, and rarely perspective or inspiration. Into this paucity of good recent writing about writing comes Brian Dillon's book Essayism. This book manages to convey a great wealth of information about the essay as a form, it's rich history and endless variety without stooping to abstruse or doctrinaire prescriptions. It is at times richly personal offering occasional glimpses into the life of the writer, and is filled with thoughtful reflection on the masters of the form, new and old.

This book has earned a place of honor on my bookshelf, and is one I will return to time and again in the future.