Essays

Yes, these essays are a lot different from the essays most of us were taught to write for school. They provide a nice narrative that includes a ton of details in order to convey a message. These essays are a lot like the articles that I've read in magazines like "The New Yorker" so I'm not startled by the way the essay is written. The essay I liked most was "Ali in Havana" because the amount of detail that the author put in was incredible, and everything seemed to help support the themes. For example, when the author describes the restaurant, he describes the people and the surroundings but also imparts the idea that Cuba is a volatile country, yet hundreds of tourists visit it.

"The Stunt Pilot" was my second run-in with Annie Dillard, who wrote "An American Childhood". I love the way she constructs sentences and incorporates detail; it's insane. "The Stunt Pilot" had a better flow than "Ali in Havana" because of Dillard's language and conversational tone kept my eyes moving across the page.

I hope to incorporate these two skills into my own essay writing: 1) including meaningful details and 2) establishing a flow that keeps readers interested and comfortable.