Journal Entry: Intro to Textbook (The Art of the Personal Essay)

1. Intimacy/Conversational Element
2. Unity to Human Experiment
3. Honesty
4. The Past… and the Melancholy,
5. Questions of Form and Style

I have to admit this was quite a lengthy introduction I thought I would never get through, but, after I completely stumbled my way through the long and dense read, I found there were clearly five main points that were especially noteworthy and I have listed them above. First, Philip Lopate starts out the introduction discussing what he calls “the hallmark” of the personal essay being intimacy. Some how I think that the conversational element goes hand and hand with intimacy even though Lopate placed it for discussion in a different section than intimacy. This conversational element helps the essayist create an intimacy by establishing a relationship with the reader. Well, in order to do that the essayist has dialogue with the reader and as a result a friendship. Lopate says, “The conversational dynamic –the desire for contact is ingrained in the form, and serves to establish a quick emotional intimacy with the audience.”
While intimacy is the hallmark of the personal essay the core is a certain unity to human experience. Wow, this point reminded me of one of the SCI principles. “Harmony exists in Diversity.” although we are all different on the relative level we all share within us the entire human condition. Honesty is central to the tradition of the personal essay. If a writer uses a frank conversational manner and commands the attention of the reader s/he had better be as honest as s/he can. When I read this, it was an aha moment for me because being honest and real comes very natural for me and a value I hold dearly. I am an “open book” who, if truth were told I don’t have a problem with being exposed because it is essential to trusting the Self. Lopate quotes Wendell Berry as saying…strip away the human façade that usually stands between me and the universe.” and what is going to create an intimacy with the audience.
The Past… and the Melancholy, when I read this point, I thought, “this is what I do” reflect on the past, mostly for retrospection. Lopate says this comes natural to the essayist. So, since it comes natural I decided maybe this is the type of writer I’ll become, a personal essayist. (Yeah) It will serve as another platform for me to use as a social activist and documentary filmmaking.
“Show don’t tell”, no, not in this last point, questions of form and style. Lopate tells that it is “tell don’t show” and it is the glory of the essayist is to tell, once and for all, everything that s/he thinks, knows, and understands. I laughed out loud when I read this because this is such a great right on description of me that it was funny. This point was the biggest aha moment while reading the introduction. I have found my form and style. By which is one of the goals of the class, which is to help evolve my own writing style and/or voice.