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The Art of the Personal Essay

Discover the purpose and function of the personal essay as a form of inquiry. Explore the supposition that the personal essay unifies human experiences. Delve into the intimate dialogue the author shares with themselves and the departure from formal genres. Embrace the casual, everyday language and the frankness that is crucial to the author's credibility. Experience the personal essayists' contradictions, criticisms, and the selection of intriguing details. Flow through the ideas and digressions that allow for exploration of various threads and the inclusion of quotable culture. Uncover the personal essay as a mode of inquiry and a way of getting closer to the truth.

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The Art of the Personal Essay

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  1. The Art of the Personal Essay • Purpose & Function

  2. Why the Personal Essay? • Supposition: unity to human experience • Author shares dialogue he’s having w/ himself • Departure from formal genres • Language: casual, everyday, direct

  3. Frankness in the Personal Essay • Author’s honesty crucial to author’s credibility • Reader’s sympathy awakened when author bears soul • Essayist exposes own betrayals, uncertainties, & self-mistrust

  4. Investigation of the Self • Limitations, ignorance • Small aspects loom large • Borders, limits, defects, disabilities

  5. Essayists’ Contradictions • Intentionally go against the grain • Make author/reader connection prickly • Fear staleness and cliché • Avoid self-righteousness • Conscious self-examination of prejudices

  6. Criticism of the Personal Essay • Egotism • Tongue-in-cheek comments • Irony • Loafer/Idler figure • Distorted viewpoint

  7. Selection of Detail • Retrospective • Local • Melancholic • Flexible & adaptable • Open to digression • Storytelling • Exploration of various threads

  8. Flow of Ideas • Digression as a structural & comic function • Movement from individual to universal • Inclusion of quotable culture • Mode of being free in an uncertain world

  9. Final Word on the Personal Essay IS NOT: • A rigorous lab experiment • A proven hypothesis IS: • A mode of inquiry • Another way of getting at the truth

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