In this collection, readers might see the value of the essay format as a way to share opinions. Lopate’s collection is a worthwhile slice of the history of the essay and its lasting contribution to American writing.
Writers and teachers of the personal essay will certainly want this title. Others with a broader interest in literary nonfiction may opt for works presenting more of an overview, such as Tracy Kidder and Richard Todd's Good Prose: The Art of Nonfiction or Lee Gutkind's Creative Nonfiction: How To Live It and Write It. [See Prepub Alert, 8/24/12.]