Books Quote by Phillip Lopate

An essay is a work of literary art which has a minimum of one anecdote and one universal idea.

— Carol Bly

Special qualities are required of the essayist. A poem or a novel may spring from the inner consciousness of an author. Reasoning poers must…

— Flora Thompson

“There is a point at which honesty becomes mischief. That's when your writing becomes irresistible.”

— Daphne Athas

I'm always trying to bring as many poetic properties as possible to the essay without making it too overburdened.

— Alison Hawthorne Deming

A piece of writing has to seduce the reader; it has to suspend disbelief and earn the reader's trust.

— Po Bronson

“What needs to be reinforced is the idea that good writing - solid, honest, entertaining, beautiful good writing - is simultaneously the reward, the…

— Tom Bissell

You can include essay elements in fiction; this is a very nineteenth century practice.

— Susan Sontag

An essay is a thing of the imagination. If there is information in an essay, it is by-the-by, and if there is an opinion,…

— Cynthia Ozick

I love essays, but they're not always the best way to communicate to a larger audience.

— Chris Abani

“A writer's style should be direct and personal, his imagery rich and earthy, and his words simple and vigorous. The greatest writers have the…

— Ernest Hemingway

“What is the essence of the art of writing? Part One: Have something to say. Part Two: Say it well.”

— Edward Abbey

“All forms of creative thinking involve a struggle to conquer or master something, and usually that specific something eludes us completely. A personal essayist…

— Kilroy J. Oldster