Essays made essays

Essays are generally reviewed as relatively short pieces of prose about a particular theme or issue. In these works are concise analyses or interpretations of the author's observations or direct experiences.

Both Annie Dillard's and Gay Talese's accounts provide brightly fitting examples for this definition of an essay. In "The Stunt Pilot" Annie's comparative interpretation only injects itself after an immersive setting is displayed. "Ali in Havana" opens similarly, with an exposition of the scene.

Annie Dillard manages to compare the spatial artistry of motion by stunt-plane to the more conventional arts - the working pen, or a builting musical phrase - without seeming at all overly-ostentatious or presumptive. She again plays with interpretation when she provides the perspective of the ground swatting at a Rahm's performance. These concise comparisons anchor her work.

Gay Talese barrs no harsh details, as he relates his stay with Ali. The tension is captured, the stilted bouts of interrogation transcribed, and the playful magic of a legend is made real by his partially narrative account. Some interlude for explanation, and editorializing is included, but this remains an essay as it stays true to fact.

The fact that these are individual's own accounts, their perspectives translated to prose, is another detail that clarifies the works as essays.

("Silent dancing" not available for review)