--- title: "16 Essays Quotes By John D'Agata" description: "16 Essays quotes by John D'Agata. Plus more from John D'Agata and more Essays sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aab/john-d-agata-13689_art_i-think-that-in-a-lot-of-readers-minds-t_89572.jpg" --- > [I think that in a lot of readers' minds the essay is a lot more utilitarian than it is art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-agata/i-think-that-in-a-lot-of-readers-minds-the-essay-is-a-lot-more/) [John D'Agata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-agata/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aab/john-d-agata-13689_art_i-think-that-in-a-lot-of-readers-minds-t_89572.jpg) > [An essay is something that tracks the evolution of a human mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-agata/an-essay-is-something-that-tracks-the-evolution-of-a-human-mind/) [John D'Agata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-agata/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5bd/john-d-agata-13689_biology_an-essay-is-something-that-tracks-the-ev_1001433.jpg) > [Sometimes the essay is where we end up when everything that we know must change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-agata/sometimes-the-essay-is-where-we-end-up-when-everything-that-we-know/) [John D'Agata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-agata/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dba/john-d-agata-13689_ends_sometimes-the-essay-is-where-we-end-up-w_1269482.jpg) > [If there's a poster boy for the fact that all essays are written through personae, it's Crèvecoeur.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-agata/if-there-s-a-poster-boy-for-the-fact-that-all-essays-are-written/) [John D'Agata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-agata/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fbc/john-d-agata-13689_boys_if-there-s-a-poster-boy-for-the-fact-tha_2510647.jpg) > [The whole movement of an essay is propelled by a fundamentally human impulse to want to figure things out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-agata/the-whole-movement-of-an-essay-is-propelled-by-a-fundamentally-human/) [John D'Agata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-agata/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/323/john-d-agata-13689_essays_the-whole-movement-of-an-essay-is-propel_3025589.jpg) > [Yet there are some critics in the nonfiction world who still look at some of today's stranger interpretations of the essay and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-agata/yet-there-are-some-critics-in-the-nonfiction-world-who-still-look-at/) [John D'Agata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-agata/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e96/john-d-agata-13689_critics_yet-there-are-some-critics-in-the-nonfic_66714.jpg) > [In college I studied essays with a poet, and so I think my interpretation of the genre was always going to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-agata/in-college-i-studied-essays-with-a-poet-and-so-i-think-my/) [John D'Agata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-agata/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6aa/john-d-agata-13689_college_in-college-i-studied-essays-with-a-poet_2900204.jpg) > [I wanted to create an environment in which more than just personal essays could be represented, and in which stranger approaches to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-agata/i-wanted-to-create-an-environment-in-which-more-than-just-personal/) [John D'Agata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-agata/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b2/john-d-agata-13689_approach_i-wanted-to-create-an-environment-in-whi_563863.jpg) > [I thought that I wasn't an essayist because I just didn't see myself in a lot of the essays that were popular…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-agata/i-thought-that-i-wasn-t-an-essayist-because-i-just-didn-t-see-myself/) [John D'Agata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-agata/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3b/john-d-agata-13689_essayist_i-thought-that-i-wasn-t-an-essayist-beca_337398.jpg) > [While I was in school, trying to figure out how to write an essay that could both satisfy my nonfiction workshops and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-agata/while-i-was-in-school-trying-to-figure-out-how-to-write-an-essay-that/) [John D'Agata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-agata/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a0/john-d-agata-13689_enough_while-i-was-in-school-trying-to-figure-o_2147525.jpg) > [The essay community should have hundreds of anthologies from hundreds of different perspectives that are constantly introducing us to new writers, new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-agata/the-essay-community-should-have-hundreds-of-anthologies-from-hundreds/) [John D'Agata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-agata/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/179/john-d-agata-13689_anthologies_the-essay-community-should-have-hundreds_3140848.jpg) > [Back in the day, a lot of our instructors in nonfiction were actually fiction scholars. So they would bring in stories as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-agata/back-in-the-day-a-lot-of-our-instructors-in-nonfiction-were-actually/) [John D'Agata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-agata/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a5/john-d-agata-13689_back-in-the-day_back-in-the-day-a-lot-of-our-instructors_1047143.jpg) > [We approach nonfiction at a much different level than we approach fiction or poetry or drama: that there's almost no room for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-agata/we-approach-nonfiction-at-a-much-different-level-than-we-approach/) [John D'Agata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-agata/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df9/john-d-agata-13689_different_we-approach-nonfiction-at-a-much-differe_2745228.jpg) > [An essay is something that tracks the evolution of a human mind. It tracks the evolution of a single consciousness in order…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-agata/an-essay-is-something-that-tracks-the-evolution-of-a-human-mind-it/) [John D'Agata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-agata/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ed/john-d-agata-13689_consciousness_an-essay-is-something-that-tracks-the-ev_3170981.jpg) > [As a student at the time, I kind of felt like my only options as a nonfiction writer were to either jump…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-agata/as-a-student-at-the-time-i-kind-of-felt-like-my-only-options-as-a/) [John D'Agata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-agata/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3e/john-d-agata-13689_bus_as-a-student-at-the-time-i-kind-of-felt_2204980.jpg) > [Of course it's possible for political essays to be artful. I just want to call into question the dominance of content over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-agata/of-course-it-s-possible-for-political-essays-to-be-artful-i-just-want/) [John D'Agata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-agata/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b4/john-d-agata-13689_appreciation_of-course-it-s-possible-for-political-es_3178954.jpg) ## Other authors on Essays ## More by John D'Agata > [Inclusiveness isn't what I want to push back against. The obsession with facts is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-agata/inclusiveness-isn-t-what-i-want-to-push-back-against-the-obsession/) [John D'Agata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-agata/) > [Yet there are some critics in the nonfiction world who still look at some of today's stranger interpretations of the essay and say "You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-agata/yet-there-are-some-critics-in-the-nonfiction-world-who-still-look-at/) [John D'Agata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-agata/) > [I think that in a lot of readers' minds the essay is a lot more utilitarian than it is art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-agata/i-think-that-in-a-lot-of-readers-minds-the-essay-is-a-lot-more/) [John D'Agata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-agata/) > [As frustrating as my time in grad school felt, it also helped tremendously because it challenged me to figure out what it was I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-agata/as-frustrating-as-my-time-in-grad-school-felt-it-also-helped/) [John D'Agata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-agata/) > [I'm not worried about what part of their life they needed to massage in order to achieve something that I get to experience as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-agata/i-m-not-worried-about-what-part-of-their-life-they-needed-to-massage/) [John D'Agata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-agata/) > [You create your own audience, and your own community of peers, and in some ways you create your own forebears as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-agata/you-create-your-own-audience-and-your-own-community-of-peers-and-in/) [John D'Agata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-agata/) > [Even if it's a definition that feels oppressive to us, that oppression can be inspiring because it helps us push up against something while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-agata/even-if-it-s-a-definition-that-feels-oppressive-to-us-that-oppression/) [John D'Agata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-agata/) > [I thought that I wasn't an essayist because I just didn't see myself in a lot of the essays that were popular at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-agata/i-thought-that-i-wasn-t-an-essayist-because-i-just-didn-t-see-myself/) [John D'Agata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-agata/) > [A risk is something that feels risky to the person who's taking it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-agata/a-risk-is-something-that-feels-risky-to-the-person-who-s-taking-it/) [John D'Agata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-agata/) > [You move your life across the country and make a commitment to a place, and to a genre, and then you realize that neither…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-agata/you-move-your-life-across-the-country-and-make-a-commitment-to-a/) [John D'Agata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-agata/) > [Pedagogically, we need definitions and borders. They help us get our heads around what we're talking about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-agata/pedagogically-we-need-definitions-and-borders-they-help-us-get-our/) [John D'Agata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-agata/) > [“Maybe every essay automatically is in some way experimental — less an outline traveling toward a foregone conclusion than an unmapped quest that has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-agata/maybe-every-essay-automatically-is-in-some-way-experimental-less-an/) [John D'Agata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-agata/) > [I wanted to create an environment in which more than just personal essays could be represented, and in which stranger approaches to making essays…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-agata/i-wanted-to-create-an-environment-in-which-more-than-just-personal/) [John D'Agata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-agata/) > [Sometimes what I'm looking for is the thing that will help renew people's interest in a writer that they may have written off as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-agata/sometimes-what-i-m-looking-for-is-the-thing-that-will-help-renew/) [John D'Agata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-agata/) > [It's fun to just skim through piles of books in the stacks of a library.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-agata/it-s-fun-to-just-skim-through-piles-of-books-in-the-stacks-of-a/) [John D'Agata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-agata/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/essays/john-d-agata/#itemlist", "name": "16 Essays Quotes By John D'Agata", "numberOfItems": 16, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think that in a lot of readers' minds the essay is a lot more utilitarian than it is art.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John D'Agata" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-agata/i-think-that-in-a-lot-of-readers-minds-the-essay-is-a-lot-more/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aab/john-d-agata-13689_art_i-think-that-in-a-lot-of-readers-minds-t_89572.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aab/john-d-agata-13689_art_i-think-that-in-a-lot-of-readers-minds-t_89572.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aab/john-d-agata-13689_art_i-think-that-in-a-lot-of-readers-minds-t_89572.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think that in a lot of readers' minds the essay is a lot more utilitarian than it is art.” — John D'Agata", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "An essay is something that tracks the evolution of a human mind.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John D'Agata" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-agata/an-essay-is-something-that-tracks-the-evolution-of-a-human-mind/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5bd/john-d-agata-13689_biology_an-essay-is-something-that-tracks-the-ev_1001433.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5bd/john-d-agata-13689_biology_an-essay-is-something-that-tracks-the-ev_1001433.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5bd/john-d-agata-13689_biology_an-essay-is-something-that-tracks-the-ev_1001433.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“An essay is something that tracks the evolution of a human mind.” — John D'Agata", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Sometimes the essay is where we end up when everything that we know must change.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John D'Agata" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-agata/sometimes-the-essay-is-where-we-end-up-when-everything-that-we-know/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dba/john-d-agata-13689_ends_sometimes-the-essay-is-where-we-end-up-w_1269482.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dba/john-d-agata-13689_ends_sometimes-the-essay-is-where-we-end-up-w_1269482.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dba/john-d-agata-13689_ends_sometimes-the-essay-is-where-we-end-up-w_1269482.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Sometimes the essay is where we end up when everything that we know must change.” — John D'Agata", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If there's a poster boy for the fact that all essays are written through personae, it's Crèvecoeur.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John D'Agata" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-agata/if-there-s-a-poster-boy-for-the-fact-that-all-essays-are-written/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fbc/john-d-agata-13689_boys_if-there-s-a-poster-boy-for-the-fact-tha_2510647.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fbc/john-d-agata-13689_boys_if-there-s-a-poster-boy-for-the-fact-tha_2510647.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fbc/john-d-agata-13689_boys_if-there-s-a-poster-boy-for-the-fact-tha_2510647.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If there's a poster boy for the fact that all essays are written through personae, it's Crèvecoeur.” — John D'Agata", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 5, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The whole movement of an essay is propelled by a fundamentally human impulse to want to figure things out.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John D'Agata" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-agata/the-whole-movement-of-an-essay-is-propelled-by-a-fundamentally-human/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/323/john-d-agata-13689_essays_the-whole-movement-of-an-essay-is-propel_3025589.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/323/john-d-agata-13689_essays_the-whole-movement-of-an-essay-is-propel_3025589.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/323/john-d-agata-13689_essays_the-whole-movement-of-an-essay-is-propel_3025589.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The whole movement of an essay is propelled by a fundamentally human impulse to want to figure things out.” — John D'Agata", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 6, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Yet there are some critics in the nonfiction world who still look at some of today's stranger interpretations of the essay and say \"You don't belong here. That's not how we do things.\" I think that's problematic.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John D'Agata" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-agata/yet-there-are-some-critics-in-the-nonfiction-world-who-still-look-at/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e96/john-d-agata-13689_critics_yet-there-are-some-critics-in-the-nonfic_66714.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e96/john-d-agata-13689_critics_yet-there-are-some-critics-in-the-nonfic_66714.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e96/john-d-agata-13689_critics_yet-there-are-some-critics-in-the-nonfic_66714.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Yet there are some critics in the nonfiction world who still look at some of today's stranger…” — John D'Agata", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 7, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In college I studied essays with a poet, and so I think my interpretation of the genre was always going to be a little off-kilter.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John D'Agata" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-agata/in-college-i-studied-essays-with-a-poet-and-so-i-think-my/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6aa/john-d-agata-13689_college_in-college-i-studied-essays-with-a-poet_2900204.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6aa/john-d-agata-13689_college_in-college-i-studied-essays-with-a-poet_2900204.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6aa/john-d-agata-13689_college_in-college-i-studied-essays-with-a-poet_2900204.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In college I studied essays with a poet, and so I think my interpretation of the genre was always going to…” — John D'Agata", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 8, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I wanted to create an environment in which more than just personal essays could be represented, and in which stranger approaches to making essays could be celebrated.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John D'Agata" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-agata/i-wanted-to-create-an-environment-in-which-more-than-just-personal/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b2/john-d-agata-13689_approach_i-wanted-to-create-an-environment-in-whi_563863.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b2/john-d-agata-13689_approach_i-wanted-to-create-an-environment-in-whi_563863.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b2/john-d-agata-13689_approach_i-wanted-to-create-an-environment-in-whi_563863.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I wanted to create an environment in which more than just personal essays could be represented, and in which…” — John D'Agata", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 9, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I thought that I wasn't an essayist because I just didn't see myself in a lot of the essays that were popular at the time. That's why I joined the poetry program in grad school.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John D'Agata" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-agata/i-thought-that-i-wasn-t-an-essayist-because-i-just-didn-t-see-myself/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3b/john-d-agata-13689_essayist_i-thought-that-i-wasn-t-an-essayist-beca_337398.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3b/john-d-agata-13689_essayist_i-thought-that-i-wasn-t-an-essayist-beca_337398.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3b/john-d-agata-13689_essayist_i-thought-that-i-wasn-t-an-essayist-beca_337398.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I thought that I wasn't an essayist because I just didn't see myself in a lot of the essays that were…” — John D'Agata", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 10, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "While I was in school, trying to figure out how to write an essay that could both satisfy my nonfiction workshops and still pass as something hybrid-y enough for my poetry workshops, I was looking for models, for forebears.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John D'Agata" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-agata/while-i-was-in-school-trying-to-figure-out-how-to-write-an-essay-that/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a0/john-d-agata-13689_enough_while-i-was-in-school-trying-to-figure-o_2147525.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a0/john-d-agata-13689_enough_while-i-was-in-school-trying-to-figure-o_2147525.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a0/john-d-agata-13689_enough_while-i-was-in-school-trying-to-figure-o_2147525.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“While I was in school, trying to figure out how to write an essay that could both satisfy my nonfiction…” — John D'Agata", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 11, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The essay community should have hundreds of anthologies from hundreds of different perspectives that are constantly introducing us to new writers, new work, and new visions for our genre. The whole spirit of these anthologies is that there should never be a last word in how essays are interpreted or what they can be.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John D'Agata" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-agata/the-essay-community-should-have-hundreds-of-anthologies-from-hundreds/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/179/john-d-agata-13689_anthologies_the-essay-community-should-have-hundreds_3140848.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/179/john-d-agata-13689_anthologies_the-essay-community-should-have-hundreds_3140848.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/179/john-d-agata-13689_anthologies_the-essay-community-should-have-hundreds_3140848.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The essay community should have hundreds of anthologies from hundreds of different perspectives that are…” — John D'Agata", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 12, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Back in the day, a lot of our instructors in nonfiction were actually fiction scholars. So they would bring in stories as models for the essay. And in some ways that's a good idea, because we can all learn from other genres. But I think it also made me realize that I literally didn't have an essay model, and that if I wanted one I would have to find it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John D'Agata" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-agata/back-in-the-day-a-lot-of-our-instructors-in-nonfiction-were-actually/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a5/john-d-agata-13689_back-in-the-day_back-in-the-day-a-lot-of-our-instructors_1047143.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a5/john-d-agata-13689_back-in-the-day_back-in-the-day-a-lot-of-our-instructors_1047143.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a5/john-d-agata-13689_back-in-the-day_back-in-the-day-a-lot-of-our-instructors_1047143.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Back in the day, a lot of our instructors in nonfiction were actually fiction scholars. So they would bring…” — John D'Agata", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 13, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We approach nonfiction at a much different level than we approach fiction or poetry or drama: that there's almost no room for metaphor. We expect the \"I\" in any nonfiction text to be an autobiographical \"I\" when there is a history in the essay of the \"I\" being a persona.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John D'Agata" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-agata/we-approach-nonfiction-at-a-much-different-level-than-we-approach/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df9/john-d-agata-13689_different_we-approach-nonfiction-at-a-much-differe_2745228.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df9/john-d-agata-13689_different_we-approach-nonfiction-at-a-much-differe_2745228.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df9/john-d-agata-13689_different_we-approach-nonfiction-at-a-much-differe_2745228.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We approach nonfiction at a much different level than we approach fiction or poetry or drama: that there's…” — John D'Agata", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 14, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "An essay is something that tracks the evolution of a human mind. It tracks the evolution of a single consciousness in order to give us an experience - an experience of looking for something and then finding ourselves in a different place by the time we've finished our journey.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John D'Agata" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-agata/an-essay-is-something-that-tracks-the-evolution-of-a-human-mind-it/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ed/john-d-agata-13689_consciousness_an-essay-is-something-that-tracks-the-ev_3170981.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ed/john-d-agata-13689_consciousness_an-essay-is-something-that-tracks-the-ev_3170981.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ed/john-d-agata-13689_consciousness_an-essay-is-something-that-tracks-the-ev_3170981.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“An essay is something that tracks the evolution of a human mind. It tracks the evolution of a single…” — John D'Agata", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 15, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "As a student at the time, I kind of felt like my only options as a nonfiction writer were to either jump on the personal essay bus or linger back at the station, hoping that some other heretofore unknown mode of transportation was going to magically show up to take me where I wanted to go.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John D'Agata" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-agata/as-a-student-at-the-time-i-kind-of-felt-like-my-only-options-as-a/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3e/john-d-agata-13689_bus_as-a-student-at-the-time-i-kind-of-felt_2204980.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3e/john-d-agata-13689_bus_as-a-student-at-the-time-i-kind-of-felt_2204980.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3e/john-d-agata-13689_bus_as-a-student-at-the-time-i-kind-of-felt_2204980.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“As a student at the time, I kind of felt like my only options as a nonfiction writer were to either jump on…” — John D'Agata", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 16, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Of course it's possible for political essays to be artful. I just want to call into question the dominance of content over form in the history of the essay. I want us to recognize that there's art involved in making this stuff, because we still don't approach the constructed nature of the essay with the same appreciation that we do poetry or fiction.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John D'Agata" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-agata/of-course-it-s-possible-for-political-essays-to-be-artful-i-just-want/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b4/john-d-agata-13689_appreciation_of-course-it-s-possible-for-political-es_3178954.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b4/john-d-agata-13689_appreciation_of-course-it-s-possible-for-political-es_3178954.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b4/john-d-agata-13689_appreciation_of-course-it-s-possible-for-political-es_3178954.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Of course it's possible for political essays to be artful. I just want to call into question the dominance…” — John D'Agata", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } } ] }, { "@type": "CollectionPage", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/essays/john-d-agata/#webpage", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/essays/john-d-agata/", "name": "Essays Quotes by John D'Agata", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/essays/john-d-agata/#itemlist" }, "primaryImageOfPage": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aab/john-d-agata-13689_art_i-think-that-in-a-lot-of-readers-minds-t_89572.jpg" }, "description": "16 Essays quotes by John D'Agata. Plus more from John D'Agata and more Essays sayings from other authors.", "breadcrumb": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/essays/john-d-agata/#breadcrumb" } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/essays/john-d-agata/#breadcrumb", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Topics", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/categories/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Essays", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/essays/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 5, "name": "John D'Agata", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/essays/john-d-agata/" } ] }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```