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.
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.
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