The essay, for many, exists as a form of writing associated with assessment and examination that bears little resemblance to its original literary expression of risk-taking: to "essayer" (from "essai"), to take thinking on an adventure, to "assay" truth however contingent. Writing an essay 'is mastering an art -- and it is an art -- which ought to be valued as highly as poetry and short story writing, an art that sometimes appears to be a poor relation but is in fact at the root of all the other literary arts, and of their evaluation.' (Michael Schmidt, PNR & Carcanet)
At Dundee we've started teaching creative essaying, and as we're all learning to write essays again, here are some marvelous work all produced by our creative writing students essaying.
