The personal essay, of course, stems from the ?personal? thoughts and experiences of the writer, but ultimately the essay (like all literary writing) must transcend the merely private to become universal. How is this done? Step one is finding a measure of distance from your experience; learning to stand back, narrow your eyes, and scrutinize your own life with a dose of healthy skepticism. Step two is learning to separate what is powerful only to you from what might be fresh, surprising, instructive, or just plain fascinating to a reader. This book shows you how to write nine different types of personal essays, including: the Contemplative Essay; the Memoir Essay; the Lyric Essay; the Nature Essay; the Travel Essay; the Spiritual Essay; the Gastronomical Essay; the Humor Essay; and the Epistolary (Letter-Writing) Essay. In addition, the book features examples from various essay types, instructional exercises, techniques for revising, and information on where and how to publish finished essays.

Dinty W. Moore's essays and stories have appeared in numerous publications including The Southern Review, The Georgia Review, Harpers, and Utne Reader. His books include Between panic Desire, The Accidental Buddhist, Toothpick Men, The Emperor's Virtual Clothes, and The Truth of the Matter: Art and Craft in Creative Nonfiction.