In Memoriam: The Essay

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the essay as "an analytic or interpretative literary composition usually dealing with its subject from a limited or personal point of view." In short, the modern literary essay is a writing sample, structured mainly by the writer's thoughts and ideals. Unfortunately, the essay is on its deathbed, being painfully lowered into a burial plot of academic obsolescence.

Now, the essay's sentiments haven't fallen out of favor. Christy Wampole of the New York Times emphasizes in her article "The Essayification of Everything" that the essay, among other types of literature, is quite beloved due to its personal nature and brief structure. However, the essay is currently in a state of transformation. The modern essay is evolving into a stale, careful analysis, void of character and ambition. And its replacement? Well, you're looking at it right now: the blog post.

Beyond a reasonable doubt, the essay has been "overstandardized." Every student learns about how to write comprehensive ideas through the 5-paragraph essay, the ultimate symbol of structure in the literary universe. To make matters more linear, the modern student develops his/her essay style through a shallow feedback system - the grade. This system is effective in preaching good writing etiquette, but at the same time it sucks life out of the student, who is inclined to write not what he/she wants to say but what the administrator wants to see. This system creates writing that is proper, grammatically correct, and boring.

The modern politically-correct adaptation of language isn't helping the essay's cause either. Interpretations of simple words can go a long way, to the point where a publishing career can be thrown into jeopardy by a single, misguided phrase. This high-stress environment steers essayists away from taking larger risks, and in turn makes essays more careful and ultimately less human. Basic censorship is necessary for the protection of civil liberties, but the censorship monster which accompanies today's writers serves as a direct impediment to the creative essence which a good essay relies on.

Wampole states that the essay "[deviates] away from certitude" and "is notoriously noncommittal." These characteristics, reflections of human thoughts themselves, used to be exclusively reserved for the essay, distinctions of its experimental nature. But now, as the essay becomes more of a test and less of a personalized expression, it is being eclipsed by a medium which does the essay's job better than the essay itself.

Enter the blog post. This community-centered approach to writing has become so popular so quickly that it threatens to challenge even the most established forms of writing, including the essay and the academic paper. Matt Richtel of the New York Times addresses the charm of blogs over more traditional writing methods in "Blogs vs. Term Papers." Richtel finds that "students feel much more impassioned by the new literacy," thanks to its personalized nature and user immersion.

The blog owes its success to the value it places on the self. From the writer's perspective, the blog is an opportunity for one to develop a distinct style, outside of the methods set by others. Free experimentation is encouraged, and one can find their voice without the threat of grades or ridicule. The interaction between author and reader through comment sections and linked responses is revolutionary, as it takes thesis development beyond the confines of a single work, a trait unmatched by essays.

The blog post does not kill the essay in the same way that the video killed the radio star. It simply advances the essay's ideals into the 21st Century. For the betterment of modern literature, please abandon the essay in favor of the blog post. After all, it is only the essay of tomorrow.

Ready or Not...

Well, here we go. The inevitable first post in a new blog. The post that lacks direction, lacks a real purpose, and hopefully doesn't scare you off so badly that it becomes the last post as well. Let's cross our fingers.

I'm not the best at introductions, so I apologize in advance. My name is Jeremy, and I am a rising senior at Napa High. I've obviously never blogged before, so I grasp this as an opportunity to develop my writing style into the 21st Century. At school, I enjoy courses with numbers and dates. Before this year I had been relatively modest about my course selection, but this year I'm not holding anything back: all four of academic courses are adorned with the "AP" prefix. 

While academics may consume my brain, choir consumes my time. I have been a member of the Choir Program at Napa High for all four years, having served as a mentor and section leader from day one. This year, I am a Second Tenor in Napa High's Concert and Chamber Choirs, I sing Baritone in our Barbershop Quartet and Bass in our A Capella group, Vocal Music Workshop. Chances are that if you attend a choir performance in the valley sometime before next June, I will be there. Just look for the guy with the pitch-pipe!

No high school resume is complete without a sport of some variety, so I joined our Varsity Tennis Team my sophomore year. I originally joined so that I wouldn't have to plague my transcript with a second P.E. class, but I have really come to enjoy the sport since then. None of us on the team take the sport too seriously, which is just the break that I needed from the sports-crazed society of today. 

I tend not to worry too much about the future, but I would like to attend a four-year university, not for the job opportunities which a degree can bring, not for the "awesome parties" which accompany the college lifestyle, but primarily because I enjoy learning. I always have. Since my youth I have been a sponge, soaking in any information which comes my way. This love has brought me to the California State Geography Bee in 2010, and I hope that it will unlock more doors for me down the line.

As far as long-term goals go, I would be delighted to work for some kind of government, be it federal, state, or local. I would also like to be a National Park Ranger at some point in my life, I am already a Junior Ranger at 25 different parks, so I might as well confirm my love for our Earth by getting the real badge. 

But all of this is big picture. Right now, my only real concern is posting this before Mrs. G. yells at us again. So I'll wrap this up for now, and if there's anything you want to know about me that has gone unanswered, never fear. We've got a whole year ahead.