To Essay – what does it mean?

This page has yet to be written. It is planned that it address something of the four qualities of essayism, that are present before prose. To give a description (I hesitate to use the word definition) of the cognitive choreography that occurs before pen touches paper.

And perhaps to use that to draw a useful distinction between civic and literary essay.

As the driver begind essayism.org I consider most anyone can learn to write an essay. They can construct it is such a manner that it contributes to civic engagement. It pursues a prose that leads to a clearer understanding of the relations under examination and provides a foundation for action.

The literary essay, whilst engaged in a similar process, pursues a prose destined to be admired as the product of a creative art

The two are different, but not necessarily mutually exclusive.

The essential challenge lies not first in prose,
but in the quality of attention that precedes it.