Samuel Johnson defined the essay as ‘a loose sally of the mind. An irregular indigested piece not a regular and orderly composition’. It is this latitude from stricture that gives a well written essay its ability to move in unpredictable directions; and in this movement we take on a more thoughtful attitude. Few people, however, seem to have the time and discipline to work through anything more complicated than lifestyle articles or tweet-sized messages. The disappearance of the short essay would be a pity.
This site is principally about essays, both literary and photographic.