I am working on a long-term writing project–employing the essay as the narrative form–and went to my book shelf to look up a quote. I took down Essay’s of E.B. White. The line I was seeking was right where I left it. “The essayist is the self-liberated man, sustained by the childish belief that everything he thinks about, everything that happens to him, is of general interest.” I love White. A Google search includes this line: “…one of the greatest essayists of our time.” We, Google and I, are in accord: White was great. I read on to this sentence, a sentence which, I should point out, has garnered me great familial derision: “Only a person who is congenitally self-centered has the effrontery and the stamina to write essays.” I wish I could say that I don’t have the effrontery, nor can I muster the stamina to argue with “one of the greatest essayists of our time.” But I can’t.
And on that note: Please check out my essay at The Millions.
Thanks, Doug. Your essay gives me license to pick up a couple of new books at Longfellow, despite having a home inventory of books-in-waiting. Thanks!
Roger that Susan. Be sure and let Chris and Stewart know where your inspiration came from. I sent someone there recently and Chris gave me a cookie for the referral. I’m hoping if it happens often enough, I’ll graduate from cookies to maybe a bottle of wine, to, best of all, store credits! Read on.