I think that in a lot of readers' minds the essay is a lot more utilitarian than it is art.

In some ways we want definitions that can help protect our own interpretations of the genre.

I like Plutarch because I've read him forever, and I know that he's incredibly funky, even though his mainstream image is as Mr. Unfunky.

A risk is something that feels risky to the person who's taking it.

I look for the kind of text that doesn't look like the writer I'm considering. Plutarch is a great example.

If Plutarch is the essayist I want to believe he is, he would want us all to sit in his chair.

You're often looking at writing from writers who, for the most part, are working in forms that traditionally fit into other genres. But sometimes, in the midst of their better-known stuff, there's this wayward thing, and because it's wayward it isn't considered representative of their work, so it falls through the cracks.